The highly-anticipated special session of the Parliament will begin next week. While speculations are rife about the agenda, the government's decision to bring new uniform for the Parliament House employees have also triggered a huge controversy.
As per the government notification, Parliament House employees will don new uniforms during the special session starting from September 18. The gender-neutral uniforms have been created by the National Institute of Fashion Technology.
The internal circular issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the marshals, security staff and officials, chamber attendants and drivers have been issued new uniforms. They have to wear the uniform once the new parliament building starts functioning.
The 'bandhgala' suit of bureaucrats will be replaced with a magenta or deep pink Nehru jacket. The shirts for them will also have a floral design. The staff will also sport maroon sleeveless jackets over the shirt.
The employees will wear khaki-coloured pants.
Uniform for Chamber attendant (male) | ANI
The new attire for the marshals in both houses of Parliament will now include Manipuri turbans. The Parliament Security Staff will be seen in army camouflage pattern fatigues instead of the blue safari suits.
Security (male) | ANI
Women officers have been assigned bright-coloured sarees with jackets to be worn during winter.
However, the uniforms have triggered a controversy with the Congress accusing the BJP of making the "Parliament a one-sided partisan thing."
"Why lotus only? Why can't a peacock or why can't a tiger? Oh, they're not the BJP party election symbol. Why this fall sir Om Birla," Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said on X.
"How cheap they are. They did it in G20 also. Now also they are doing it and saying it is the national flower," he said. "This kind of pettiness is not right. Hope the BJP grows up and not make the Parliament a one-sided partisan thing," he alleged.
The parliament session is set to begin on September 18 in the old building.
The parliament proceedings are expected to shift to the new building on September 19 on Ganesh Chaturthi, which is considered auspicious for making new beginnings.
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