Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building here at an event that was attended by leaders from various political parties, cabinet ministers and ambassadors of different countries.

PM Modi also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the building, which is expected to be completed by 2022. Priests from the Sringeri Math Karnataka did the rituals for the 'bhoomi pujan' at the new Parliament building site and it was followed by a 'sarva dharma prarthana' (inter-faith prayer).

Democracy is a culture in India. Democracy is a life value, a way of life and the soul of the life of the nation for India. Democracy of India is a system developed with the experience of centuries: PM Narendra Modi at foundation stone laying ceremony of new Parliament building pic.twitter.com/NA1o2uyLcP

— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2020

“I can never forget the moment in my life when I had the opportunity to come to Parliament House for the first time in 2014 as an MP. Then before stepping into this temple of democracy, I had bowed my head and saluted this temple of democracy,” PM Modi said at an address after the groundbreaking ceremony in New Delhi.

“This is a day of pride for over 130 crore Indians when we are witnessing this historic moment. The new Parliament building is an example of the co-existence of the new and the old. This is an effort to make changes within oneself in accordance with the time and needs,” he further said.

He then talked about how the new Parliament Complex will help the legislators as well as those who come to meet them. PM Modi said that there were space constraints in the old building, but that has been taken care of in the new complex. “The current Parliament building is nearly 100 years old; it was upgraded many times, but now it needs rest,” said PM Modi.