Amid growing criticism against the Central Vista project, of which a new Parliament building is a part, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that MPs have been sitting in crammed spaces in the existing Parliament building. He gave the example of the Malaysian Parliament building, which came in for admiration from Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Puri, taking to social media, said that Tharoor in 2018 apparently loved the modern new building of Malaysia, including the swivel chairs and nameplates there. Tharoor also correctly lamented how he had to sit on crammed benches in an old building," the Minister reminded.

He urged Tharoor to convince his party bosses now. "Three years later we are doing precisely what he desired. He must now put some sense into his party bosses and tell them how important it is for us to have a new building with spacious seating and ample office spaces," Puri added.

The Central Vista project costs about Rs 20,000 Cr. The Congress party and Rahul Gandhi have been questioning its necessity. The seating capacity of the new Parliament will be 880 seats in the Lok Sabha chamber alone. A new residence for the Prime Minister, spread over more than 15 acres, is also coming up.