New Delhi: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, said Monday that the new Parliament building will give lawmakers "new hope and confidence" while paying honour to "every brick" of the existing one.
Modi spoke for more than an hour in Lok Sabha, reflecting on the history of India's democracy and expressing his hope that the final day in this historic edifice will be commemorated by the more than 7,500 lawmakers who have served here since Independence. To celebrate the joyous holiday of Ganesh Chaturthi, the House of Representatives will move to its new home on Tuesday.
We can make a link to the past here and now. We leave this place optimistic about what is ahead. There will be renewed optimism and confidence when we move into the new Parliament building, the prime minister remarked. I honour every stone in this structure," he remarked, referring to the 7,500 members of parliament who had served here.
While funding for the first Parliament Building came from foreign powers, Prime Minister Modi noted that the building itself was erected with the blood, sweat and tears of the Indian people. "Today, we are leaving this venerable structure. He said that the structure had served as the Imperial Legislative Council before independence and then as the Parliament afterward. While the new structure will certainly be a source of inspiration for years to come, even the old one has its uses. Modi referred to this as a "historic moment" in India's development.—Inputs from Agencies
