Tharoor calls new Parliament building a ‘soulless conference centre’

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 21, 2026: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday described the new Parliament building as a “soulless conference centre”, arguing that its lack of intimacy and distancing in its design reflect the growing political polarisation.

Speaking at the launch of journalist and author Sobhana K Nair’s book Housing the Republic: A Biography of the Indian Parliament, Tharoor said there appeared to be a desire to leave a physical imprint on the national capital, but questioned whether every change was necessary.

Tharoor, a four-time Thiruvananthapuram MP, criticised the building’s high ceilings and fan-shaped seating arrangement, saying they had reduced the sense of intimacy and informal interaction that existed in the old Parliament chambers.

He said the absence of the Central Hall was another major drawback, as it had previously served as a space for informal exchanges among serving and former MPs, observers and members of the media.

According to Tharoor, the new building’s design has weakened the sense of collegiality and camaraderie across party lines, which he said had traditionally been an important feature of parliamentary functioning.

He also raised concerns over the proposed expansion of the Lok Sabha to 850 members. While acknowledging that the Lower House has the physical space to accommodate more MPs, he warned that a larger House could undermine meaningful parliamentary debate and deliberation.

Tharoor said MPs could eventually become “a whole bunch of strangers” merely applauding announcements in unison, warning that such a situation would undermine the very purpose of Parliament.

However, he acknowledged one practical advantage of the new building. The cramped seating arrangement of the old Parliament, where MPs often had to squeeze past their colleagues to reach the aisles, had been addressed, he said.

Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, who was also part of the panel at the book launch, was equally critical of the new building. He said he did not like its aesthetics and argued that the more important issue was the quality of parliamentary debate rather than the building itself.

Brittas said parliamentary discourse had “plummeted to the lowest” and questioned the lack of transparency over the expenditure on the new building. He contrasted this with the old Parliament building, originally known as the Council House, whose construction cost during the British era was publicly known.

Housing the Republic, published by Bloomsbury, traces the history of India’s Parliament from its origins in 1919 to the construction of the new Parliament building in 2023. The book is priced at Rs 699 and is available through online and offline retailers.