Indian Prime Minister will ceremoniously open the new parliament, the opposition has announced a boycott

Delhi – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will ceremonially inaugurate the new parliament building on Sunday, which is the centerpiece of a $2.4 billion (nearly 53 billion CZK) project aimed at modernizing the center of the metropolis of Delhi and replacing buildings from the British colonial era with structures featuring distinctive Indian characteristics, according to the government. The opposition has criticized the project and announced that it will boycott the ceremony, Reuters reported today.

A statement about a "collective boycott" of the ceremony was signed by 19 opposition parties on Wednesday. According to their leaders, the building's inauguration should be conducted by the Indian president. "Prime Minister Modi's decision to inaugurate the building is a gross insult and an attack on Indian democracy," cited from the opposition parties' statement by the BBC news server.

According to critics of the prime minister, the new parliament building, designed by an architect from Modi's home state of Gujarat, is an attempt by the prime minister to support the nationalist policies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and leave a personal lasting legacy.

Opponents of the project also point to the high cost and accuse the government of not discussing the matter with other lawmakers and the public. Critics argue that the existing parliament building could have been renovated instead of constructing a new one.

Leadership of the BJP has called on the opposition to "stop playing political games." The redevelopment of central Delhi, which aims to highlight the traditions and symbols of Indian culture, comes a year before parliamentary elections in which the Hindu nationalist BJP will seek a third consecutive term after ten years in power.

The new triangular parliament building has been constructed opposite the current legislative assembly building from 1927. The old parliament building, which is inadequate for various reasons including capacity, infrastructure, technology, and security, will be converted into a museum, the government stated.

The new parliamentary complex includes 1,272 seats, nearly 500 more than the existing building, and has at least three times the area. "The building has four floors and halls inspired by national symbols such as the peacock, lotus, and banyan. There are also murals, sculptures, and other artworks from across the country depicting 5,000 years of Indian civilization," stated one of the architects involved in the construction.

The modernization project for central Delhi also includes the construction of several government buildings and new residences for the vice president and prime minister.