Punjab CM to boycott inaugural ceremony of new Parliament
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 May, 2023 11:44 AM
Chandigarh, May 24 (IANS) Slamming the Union government for demeaning the position of President of the country by not inviting her to the inaugural ceremony of new Parliament, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said he would not attend the function slated to be held on May 28.
In a statement here, the Chief Minister said whenever the new session of Parliament is called every MP is invited by the President to attend the session. However, he said it is ironical that the constitutional head of the government has not even been invited to the function to mark inauguration of the new Parliament.
Mann said this is 'mockery of the Constitution' which is totally unwarranted and undesirable.
The Chief Minister said the Constitution has been framed by a visionary leader like Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who had enshrined basic values to ensure that democracy works successfully. However, he said as a part of deep-rooted conspiracy, the NDA government led by the BJP is showing grave disrespect to the founding fathers of the Constitution by indulging in such tantrums.
Mann said the countrymen would never accept it and would teach a befitting lesson to the BJP in the coming days.
The Chief Minister said his conscience doesn't allow him to attend any such event where the "power mad government" has not even bothered to invite the constitutional head of the country.
Therefore, he said, they will boycott this event and will not attend it as a mark of protest against the high handedness of the BJP and its allies.
Mann unequivocally said they would have loved to attend this event, had the President dedicated this new Parliament to the people of country.
Also on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the occasion of Parakram Jayanti and said: "Today, on Parakram Diwas, I pay homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and recall his unparalleled contribution to India's history."
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Health Minister Balbir Singh said the inauguration program would be held in Amritsar on January 27. The Chief Minister will inaugurate the clinics, while AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the programme as the chief guest.
A police official said that during normal checking of vehicles on Sunday night in Imphal, two persons were apprehended and the drugs, smuggled from Myanmar, were recovered from their procession. The drug peddlers, identified as Md. Abdul Salam and Md. Wasim Akram, have been arrested under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The bodies of a married couple and their two children, aged three and 11, were found metres from the border on Jan. 19, 2022. Investigators have said they believe the deaths were linked to a human smuggling operation, and a man charged in the U.S. is to stand trial later this year.
A video showing the woman's ordeal has gone viral on social media in which she is seen lying on the ground in a public place. The incident took place on Thursday and the woman, identified as Kalpana, was "turned back without check-up".
The Chief Minister, while interacting with the media after reviewing the progress of development projects worth Rs 167 crore in the city, said it is ironic that the Maharajas in power were more concerned about their own development rather than that of the city. He said though Patiala was known as 'City of Gardens' but due to apathy of those in power, the city lost its shine in the last few years.
