PM unveils new Parliament with puja and prostration amid ‘Modi, Modi’ chants and Opposition boycott

News Network

May 28, 2023

New Delhi, May 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new parliament building amid a boycott by opposition parties, which insisted President Droupadi Murmu should do the honours. The PM unveiled a plaque marking the inauguration.

Modi reached the new parliament building at 7.30 am. 'Modi, Modi' chants greet PM as he enters new Parliament building. Soon after, he and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla sat down for a puja. Once the puja ended, the Prime Minister prostrated before the historic sceptre 'sengol'.

The Adheenam seers handed over the 'sengol' to the Prime Minister, who sought their blessings on the momentous occasion. The Prime Minister then carried the historic sceptre to the Lok Sabha chamber and installed it beside the chair of the Speaker.

The Prime Minister then felicitated a group of construction workers involved in the making of the grand new parliament.

This was followed by 'sarv-dharma' (all faith) prayers by representatives from several religions.

Meanwhile, Modi, after opening the doors of the new Sansad, tweeted "our hearts & minds are filled with pride, hope and promise". "May this iconic building be a cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and nurturing them into reality," he added.

The old parliament building was completed in 1927, and is now 96 years old. Over the years, it was found to be inadequate for present day requirements.

The new parliament building can comfortably seat 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber and 300 in the Rajya Sabha chamber. For a joint sitting of both the houses, 1,280 MPs can be accommodated in the Lok Sabha chamber.

The material used for the new building has been acquired from across the country. The teak wood was sourced from Maharashtra's Nagpur, while the red and white sandstone was brought from Sarmathura in Rajasthan, to name a few.

With carpets from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, bamboo flooring from Tripura and stone carvings from Rajasthan, the new parliament building reflects India's diverse culture. The government has announced a commemorative ₹ 75 coin to mark the historic event.

Built by Tata Projects Ltd, the new Parliament building has a grand constitution hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.

The triangular-shaped four-storey building has a built-up area of 64,500 square metres. It has three main gates - Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar and Karma Dwar - and separate entrances for VIPs, MPs and visitors.

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Israel killing Palestinian children in Gaza every day despite ceasefire: UNICEF

News Network

November 22,2025

The Israeli regime’s forces have killed two Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip every day since the ceasefire began in early October, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children’s agency said on Friday that Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinians in Gaza even though the agreement was meant to stop the killing.

“Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been injured. That is an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva, reminding that each number in the statistics represents a child whose life had ended violently.

“These are not statistics,” he said. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”

Data from Palestinian factions, human rights groups, and government bodies recorded since the US-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10 show that Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks, each constituting a separate ceasefire violation.

UNICEF teams say they repeatedly continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of fearful Palestinian children sleeping outdoors with amputated limbs, while others live as orphans in flooded, makeshift shelters.

“I saw this myself in August. There is no safe place for them. The world cannot normalize their suffering,” Pires said, lamenting that the UN could “do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.”

The UNICEF spokesperson warned that with the advent of winter, the risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children will increase.

He warned, “The stakes are incredibly high” for children as winter acts as a threat multiplier, where children have no heating, no insulation, and few blankets. He said respiratory infections rise.

“Too many children have already paid the highest price,” Pires said. “Too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it would stop and that we would protect them.”

“Now we must act like it,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, it has killed nearly 70,000 people in the territory, most of them women and children, and injured over 170,000 more, while reducing most of the structures in the enclave to rubble.

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