The idea to construct a new Parliament building was initially proposed by the PV Narasimha Rao government, but "due to various reasons" it was put in "cold storage", DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Wednesday.

"But now, a new Parliament building has been constructed, and that is a good thing," Azad said amid 19 opposition parties, including his former party Congress, announcing a boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.