Controversy erupts over uniform change for staff in new Parliament building

Even though the agenda of the special session is still unclear, it is certain that the Parliament proceedings will move to the new building on Sept 19, Ganesh Chaturthi. 

Apart from the revamped building, the uniforms of Parliament staff will also be new. The outfit has been designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).

According to reports, the uniform change was supposed to happen in the last parliament session but could not be done for some reason.

The usual bureaucrats' band gala suit will be replaced with a magenta or deep pink Nehru jacket with a shirt of a similar colour, featuring a lotus flower design.

The employees will be seen wearing khaki-coloured pants.

Female staff, however, will be seen in saree uniforms like before.

The marshals of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha will be wearing a Manipuri turban after the uniform change.

The safari suits worn by the security personnel inside the building will be replaced with camouflage dresses, similar to the military.

However, ahead of the expected changes, controversy has erupted over the use of Lotus, which also happens to be the election symbol of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Opposing the move, Congress' Manickam Tagore said that instead of a lotus, the designs could have national symbols like peacock and tiger.

Controversy over the lotus theme for Rajya Sabha has played out earlier as well.

The new parliament building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May this year. Calling the building a "testament of the dawn of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), PM Modi said, “Some moments in the developmental journey of a nation get immortalised, today is one such day...The new Parliament complex will witness the realisation of our 'developed India' resolution.”