On new Parliament complex, Kapil Sibal tells Centre to change its functioning, not edifice

Opining on stone-laying ceremony of the new Parliament building, Congress leader Kapil Sibal has said that the BJP should change the way of functioning as changing the edifice is "not enough". Sibal's remark comes a day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla provided details of the new Parliament building and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone on December 10. Birla addressed the media after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at PM's residence 7LKM. 

READ | PM Modi to lay foundation stone of new Parliament building on December 10: Om Birla

READ | Anil Vij issues statement after testing COVID positive amid Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN trial

New Parliament Building

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday announced that the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the new Parliament building will be held on December 10 at 1 pm. The Lok Sabha speaker added that the 'bhumi pujan' will be conducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. "Our temple of democracy, which is going to be 100-years-old, is ready to see the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the new building being built by us in independent India," he said. 

"It has been decided that the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament building will be held on 10th December at 1 pm. The ceremony will begin with 'bhumi pujan' by the Prime Minister," he added.

Om Birla also stated that on the completion of 75 years of India's independence, the Winter session of both the upper and the lower house will begin in the new Parliament building. "There will be approximately 888 seats for Lok Sabha members and more than 326 seats for Rajya Sabha members in the new building. Lok Sabha hall will be able to accommodate 1224 members simultaneously," he said adding that the 'temple of Aatmanirbhar Bharat' will reflect the diversity of the nation. "It will be 17,000 sq.m bigger than the old Parliament building," he remarked. 

READ | Pfizer seeks emergency use authorisation for COVID-19 vaccine in India after UK clearance

READ | Britain's Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip to get UK-approved COVID-19 vaccine 'in weeks'