Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's new parliament building on Sunday, a modern complex that is part of his Hindu nationalist government's grand plan to give a makeover to the British colonial-era architecture in New Delhi.
The inauguration, and the ongoing revamp of the heart of New Delhi based on Indian culture, traditions, and symbols, comes a year before parliamentary elections in which Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will pitch its Hindu nationalist credentials, and its performance in office over the last decade, to seek a third term.
Modi held traditional prayers outside the complex in a ceremony that was also attended by top cabinet ministers. He then lit a traditional lamp inside the parliament.
Later, the prime minister entered parliament to loud cheers from guests, government officials, and lawmakers, with many welcoming him with a chant of "Modi, Modi".
"This new complex will be evidence of self-reliant India," he ...