Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday declared that his Rashtriya Janata Dal will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is scheduled this weekend.
Yadav also termed the Reserve Bank of India’s decision to scrap Rs 2000 notes as "illogical" and remarked that “only one rupee coins” should be issued if high denomination currency was deemed to be problematic.
“We are opposed to the proposed inauguration by PM and we will boycott it. The inauguration (of the new Parliament building) should be done by the honourable President," Yadav told reporters in reply to queries about his party’s stand on the issue.
Though the RJD does not have any member in the Lok Sabha, it has a few MPs in the Rajya Sabha.
When asked about his take on the scrapping of Rs 2000 notes, Yadav said he found the step “illogical”.
“The same dispensation was in power when Rs 2,000 notes were introduced with the claim of attacking corruption. Let it explain the benefits of the last note-bandi (demonetization of 2016). Then it should tell us what it hopes to accomplish this time," Yadav said.
“If there is such a problem with high denomination notes, let there be only one rupee coins”, he added sarcastically.
Asked about the proposed meeting of leaders opposed to the BJP, which is to be convened by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said, “Do not worry. Things will take place at the appropriate time." Meanwhile, in a related development, Kumar’s JD(U) also announced that it will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building, scheduled on Sunday.
“The new Parliament building has been constructed because you do not respect our heritage. It is a political stunt (rajneetik kalaabaazi) and hence we will boycott its inauguration”, JD(U) chief spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar said in a video statement, apparently attacking the BJP.
He also asked what was the point in "splurging public money on construction of this complex, at a time when the country is facing economic challenges arising out of the COVID pandemic?" "You don’t have money to give pension to soldiers and you bring a scheme like Agnipath. Unemployment and inflation are skyrocketing. And you spend government funds on something so inessential," the JD(U) leader said.
He, however, did not express any opinion on the plea of other anti-BJP parties that the President, and not the Prime Minister, should inaugurate the new Parliament building.
The JD(U), which was an NDA partner till August last year, has 16 members in the Lok Sabha and quite a few, including Deputy Chairman Harivansh, in the Upper House.
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