On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought a directive to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, requesting the inauguration of the new Parliament building by President Droupadi Murmu.
A bench consisting of Justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha informed the petitioner's counsel, Jaya Sukin, in person that the court comprehends the motive and process behind filing this petition but is not inclined to entertain it under Article 32 of the Constitution.
Sukin argued that according to Article 79, the President holds the position of the executive head of the nation and should have received an invitation to the event.
However, he expressed his willingness to withdraw the petition if the court did not wish to entertain it.
The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government, stated that if the petition is permitted to be withdrawn, it will be subsequently filed in the high court.
The petition was then dismissed and withdrawn by the bench.
The petition highlighted that the respondents, namely the Lok Sabha Secretariat and the Union of India, are causing "humiliation" to the president by not extending an invitation to her for the inauguration.
Amidst the controversy surrounding the scheduled inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28, the petition was filed by a lawyer from the apex court.
In a demonstration against the perceived "sidelining" of the president, twenty opposition parties have decided to boycott the ceremony.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, 19 political parties expressed their viewpoint, stating, "Considering the diminished essence of democracy within Parliament, we see no significance in a new building."
The BJP-led NDA retaliated by denouncing the "contemptuous" move.
In a statement released on Wednesday, political parties affiliated with the ruling NDA (National Democratic Alliance) expressed their strong disapproval, stating, "This action is not only disrespectful but also a direct challenge to the democratic principles and constitutional values of our nation."
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recently had a meeting with the Prime Minister, where he extended an invitation for the inauguration of the new building.
It is worth noting that Prime Minister Modi had already laid the foundation stone for the building in 2020, and during that event, several opposition parties chose not to participate.
