New Parliament Inauguration: Why parties in Kerala are calling it a 'black day' for democracy?

Thiruvananthapuram: Following the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday, the opposition Congress in Kerala criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party, calling it a "black day" for Indian democracy. 

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The Central Government was criticized by the party in power, the CPI(M), for fabricating a rival history.       

The Congress criticised the Centre for failing to invite President Droupadi Murmu to the event, claiming that this demonstrated the RSS's "upper caste communal fascist stand."
        
AICC general secretary (in-charge of organisation), K C Venugopal, told media at Kannur that the BJP was unable to give an explanation for not inviting the President and the Vice-President for the function. It's a "black day" for Indian democracy, he said.
        
"The BJP has been using our President Droupadi Murmu for PR purposes. It's unfortunate that the first citizen of India had to watch the inauguration of the new Parliament of the country through television. 
        
"The upper caste communal fascist stand of the RSS resulted in ignoring former President Ram Nath Kovind from the foundation stone laying ceremony and Murmu from the inauguration of the new Parliament building," Venugopal said.
        
Modi should realize that he was dedicating a Parliament building and not a BJP party headquarters, the senior Congress leader remarked.
        
State Minister and CPI(M) leader, M B Rajesh, said the BJP tried to create a place in India's history by keeping a portrait of Savarkar in the Parliament, an accused in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case, but failed.
        
"They (BJP) tried to tweak the history to get a place in the legacy of the country. That too didn't work. Now they decided to create a parallel history (by inaugurating new Parliament building)," Rajesh said in a Facebook post.
        
Criticizing the police action against the protesting wrestlers in New Delhi, the CPI(M) said the Modi government might have inaugurated a new Parliament building today. "But on the streets, its police showed what it really thinks of democracy," CPI(M) tweeted. 
        
The CPI(M) said democracy was not on grand buildings or pompous speeches but on respect for rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

(With inputs from PTI)

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• New Parliament inauguration
• Oppositions in Kerala