All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on the one hand said that there indeed is a need for a new parliament building, but on the other demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “step back” from inaugurating it, as not doing so would be against the theory of separation of powers.
Mr Owaisi was speaking to the media at party headquarters in Daurssalaam on Wednesday, where he urged the opposition parties to read Article 51 (1) of the Constitution, and underscored that the President is part of the executive.
“Today I am saying the same thing, that the PM should not inaugurate (the new parliament building) because it would be a gross violation of the theory of separation of powers. The legislature is independent. The parliament is independent of the executive, who is the PM. The parliament is independent of the judiciary which is headed by CJI,” Mr Owaisi said, adding that it should be the Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla, who the Hyderabad parliamentarian described as the custodian of the Lok Sabha, who should inaugurate the building. “This would be an interference of the executive in the domain of the Speaker - the legislature.”
Mr Owaisi clarified that no opposition party had approached the AIMIM because they were political “untouchables”. He said that the AIMIM would not attend the inauguration if PM Modi inaugurates the building, but would join the inauguration in case Mr Birla does.
Mr Owaisi disagreed with the opposition’s contention that President Droupadi Murmu, and not PM Modi, should inaugurate the new building. He maintained that President is part of the executive. Citing Article 51 (1) of the Constitution, he said, “Those who are saying that the President should (inaugurate) it, are wrong. This is because according to Article 53 (1) the executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with this Constitution,” he said. “The President is part of the executive. These people do not read.”
