HD Kumaraswamy terms Congress ‘hypocrite’ over boycotting inauguration of new Parliament building

Also read: 19 parties to boycott Parliament inauguration by PM Modi

‘Pleasing certain communities’

A day after the former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda announced his decision to attend the inauguration, his son and the JD(S) second-in-command Kumaraswamy said the call given by the Congress showed its double standards underlined its “trivial politics” to turn votes in its favour by “pleasing certain communities”.

The JD(S) leader, however, clarified that the stand taken should not be perceived as his party’s soft corner for the BJP.

Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said the JD(S) had a detailed discussion on the topic and finally it was agreed upon that it will attend the inauguration on 28 May.

The former chief minister said the Parliament building has not been built by a party but rather using taxpayers’ money.

However, the Congress and a few other parties have decided to boycott the inauguration saying that it should be unveiled by the President, who belongs to the tribal community, he added.

‘Doublespeak of Congress’

Kumaraswamy reminded the Congress that the foundation stone of the Chhattisgarh Assembly building was laid by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and not the Governor.

“In Karnataka too, the foundation of the Vikasa Soudha was inaugurated by the then Congress chief minister (Dharam Singh) in 2005 and not the Governor (at the time). This is the doublespeak of the Congress, which seeks to turn votes in its favour by raising trivial political issues to appease certain communities,” Kumaraswamy said.

He also sought to know why the Congress had fielded former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha against Murmu during the presidential election if it had so much respect for a tribal woman.

“If you truly had respect for a tribal woman, you should have elected her unopposed since it’s a presidential election. Why did you field Yashwant Sinha? Now, you have developed a respect for her! We can see through your hypocrisy behind the respect for President Murmu,” Kumaraswamy said.

He also advised the Congress not to spoil its respectful position by indulging in petty politics.

Also read: TDP joins YSRCP in attending new Parliament inauguration

‘Injustice to President’

The Opposition parties, on 24 May, collectively announced their decision to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, terming it as an “undignified act” that insulted the high office of the President.

In a joint statement, they said that the inauguration of the Parliament building was a momentous occasion, but despite their belief that the government was threatening democracy, and their disapproval of the “autocratic manner” in which the new Parliament was built, they were open to burying their differences and marking this occasion.

The signatories to the statement were the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Janata Dal (United), AAP, CPI(M), CPI, Swaraj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Indian Union Muslim League, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Kerala Congress (M), Revolutionary Socialist Party (India), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and the Rashtriya Lok Dal.

The BRS, which is very vocal in its opposition to the BJP, had dared the prime minister to name the new Parliament complex after the architect of the Indian Constitution — BR Ambedkar.

The BRS had the necessary moral heft to put forth the demand since it had already named its ultra-modern new Secretariat, which had come up in Hyderabad, after the social reformer and visionary.

Earlier, the YSRCP and the TDP announced that they would be participating in the function.

(With PTI inputs)