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Shah Rukh Khan shares video of new Parliament, says, ‘May the new home embrace people from all religions’; PM Modi reacts

May 28, 2023
Henry

/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India’s New Parliament building is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. Ahead of the inauguration, superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar congratulated the PM and promoted the new structure. SRK and Akshay added their voiceover to the video shared earlier by the PM, while Rajinikanth thanked him for adding the Tamilian symbol to the building.

Narendra Modi responded to their congratulatory message and added that the new building ‘is a symbol of democratic strength and progress’. He lauded SRK and Akshay for their emotional voiceover, which helped in conveying the spirit of pride among people.

With the music of Swades playing in the background, Shah Rukh Khan, can be heard saying in the video, “The new Parliament building. The new house of our hopes. A home for the people who uphold our Constitution where 140 crore Indians become one family. May this new home be so big that it has a place for everyone from every village, city and every corner of the country. May the arms of the new home embrace people from all castes, creeds and religions. It is said that a parliament is what soul is to the body. My sincerest prayers that the soul of democracy stays robust in its new home.”

He captioned the video, “What a magnificent new home for the people who uphold our Constitution, represent every citizen of this great Nation and protect the diversity of her one people Narendra Modi ji. A new Parliament building for a New India but with the age old dream of Glory for India. Jai Hind!”

Reacting to SRK’s post, PM replied, “Beautifully expressed! The new Parliament building is a symbol of democratic strength and progress. It blends tradition with modernity.”

Akshay Kumar called the new Parliament building ‘an iconic symbol of India’s growth story’. He shared that as every Indian is proud of the country’s progress, he cannot contain his happiness. Recalling his childhood in Delhi, he added in Hindi, “When I used to visit India Gate with my parents, most of the buildings around were built by the Britishers. But this is a brand new India, a grand new India and my heart is filled with pride. The Parliament is a temple of democracy and the symbol of new India. Today is a moment of glory, of pride for us.”

His video was reposted by the prime minister with a tweet that read, “You have conveyed your thoughts very well. Our new Parliament is truly a beacon of our democracy. It reflects the nation’s rich heritage and the vibrant aspirations for the future.

“The traditional symbol of Tamil power – the scepter – will shine in India’s new parliament building. #தமிழன்டா My sincere thanks to the honorable Bharat Pratham @narendramodi who made Tamilians proud,” Rajinikanth tweeted in Tamil. PM Modi responded in the same language, which roughly translates to, “The entire nation takes pride in the glorious culture of Tamil Nadu. It is truly a pleasure to see the culture of this great state taking pride of place in the new Parliament building. #MyParliamentMyPride.”

The construction of the new Parliament building started in January 2021, after Modi laid the foundation stone and performed a bhoomi pujan on December 10, 2020.

The new building, spread over 64,500 square metres, has bigger Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha chambers. The total seating capacity in Lok Sabha will increase from 543 in the existing building to 888; and from 250 to 384 in Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha chamber will be able to accommodate additional seating up to 1,272 seats. The new building does not have a Central Hall, and the new Lok Sabha chamber will be used for joint sittings.