WATCH | PM Gets Standing Ovation Amid 'Modi' Chants At Opening Of New Parliament; Unveils Special Coin & Stamp

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated India’s new Parliament House with the hope that ‘Naya Sansad’ will become a cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and nurturing them into reality. After the religious inaugural ceremony, as the prime minister entered the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building for the formal event, he received a warm welcome with a standing ovation from the dignitaries present there.

In a 1-minute 30-second video clip shared by news agency ANI on Twitter, PM Modi can be seen entering the New Parliament amid “Modi Modi” chants from members of Parliament, chief Ministers of different States and other dignitaries present at the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building.

On the occasion, PM Modi also released a special commemorative postage stamp and a Rs 75 coin to mark the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

According to a gazette notification by the Department of Economic Affairs under the Union Ministry of Finance, the weight of the coin would be 34.65-35.35 grams.

One side of the coin will bear the image of the Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar in the centre, flanked by the word “Bharat” in Devanagari script and “INDIA” in English, it said.

The rupee symbol “₹” and denominational value “75” in international numerals will also be inscribed below the Lion Capital. The other side of the coin will bear the image of the Parliament Complex and the year “2023” in international numerals below the image.

In his address, the prime minister said that the new Parliament building is a reflection of the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians and this temple of democracy gives the message of India’s determination to the world.

Making his first speech in the new Parliament, which he inaugurated earlier in the day, Modi said: “In every country’s development, there are moments like these which become historic. And when India is celebrating ‘Azadi ka Amrit Kaal’, the people of India have gifted its democracy a new Parliament House.”

The prime minister laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building, a key component of the ambitious Central Vista project, on December 10, 2020. The construction work started in early 2021 and took a little over two years to complete. The present Parliament Building was completed in 1927 and is now 96 years old.

(With inputs from agencies)