New Parliament building is a symbol of aspiration of 140 cr people: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the new Parliament is not just a building, but a symbol of the aspiration of the 140 crore people of India.

Addressing the gathering during his first address in the new Parliament building, Prime Minister said "It gives a message to the world about India's determination".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new parliament building this morning in a grand ceremony that saw attendance from 25 parties and installed a historic sceptre ‘Sengol' near the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair.

"Our democracy is our inspiration...Our constitution is our resolve and the best representative of this inspiration and this resolution is our Parliament" Prime Minister said.

Modi said, "India is not only a democratic country but also the mother of democracy. India is also a voice of global democracy today and this democracy is not just a system for us, it is a culture, an idea, a tradition"

"Some moments in the developmental journey of a nation get immortalised, today is one such day...this new Parliament will become witness to the rise of a self-reliant India and will witness the realization of our developed India resolution" Modi added.

On the historic sceptre 'sengol' that he installed in the new Lok Sabha chamber, the PM said "The holy 'Sengol' was installed in Parliament today. In the Chola dynasty, the 'Sengol' symbolised justice, righteousness and good governance".

"This sengol is a symbol of the transfer of power. Adeenam saints blessed us in Parliament. I thank them. It's our good fortune that we could restore the glory of this holy 'sengol'. This 'sengol' will keep inspiring us," he added.

The PM said the construction of the new Parliament building gave employment to 60,000 workers, and a digital gallery dedicated to them has also been built. He said the new parliament building is a perfect example of the co-existence of the old and new.

Talking about the role of new building, Prime Minister said "Every law passed in this Parliament will make India a developed country, and eliminate poverty in the next 25 years".

Prime Minister Modi said that the new Parliament building is equipped with modern facilities with the latest gadgets. "It has given employment to over 60,000 labourers and we have created a digital gallery to honour their hard work," Modi said.

Speaking during the inauguration PM Modi said, "For many years, the British rule stole our pride from us. Today, India has left behind that colonial mindset".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a new Parliament was the need of the hours. "In the coming years, we will see an increase in the number of seats and MPs in the Parliament".

During the event Prime Minister Narendra Modi also released commemorative postal stamps and launched Rs 75 coin to mark the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

Two short films on the features of the new Parliament and Sengol were also played out at the inaugural event. Speaking at the event, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that "India is one of the oldest democracies in the world and India's Parliament is the center of democratic value"

"I express my gratitude towards PM Modi under whose leadership this new Parliament was built in under 2.5 years" he added.

During the event, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh read out the message of President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

The day-long event was attended by 25 parties, while 20 opposition parties are boycotting the event, accusing the PM of completely sidelining President Droupadi Murmu. (UNI)