Tharoor calls new Parliament building 'soulless conference centre', lacking in intimacy
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticized India's new Parliament building, labeling it a 'soulless conference centre' that lacks the intimacy of the old chambers. He argued that the new design's layout reflects the increasing polarization of Indian politics.
Why it matters
The critique highlights the symbolic and functional debate surrounding the government's Central Vista redevelopment project.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday (August 20, 2026) described the new Parliament building as a "soulless conference centre", saying that its lack of coziness and distancing mirrors the polarisation of our politics.
Speaking at the launch of journalist and author Sobhana K Nair's new book, ' Housing the Republic: A Biography of the Indian Parliament' , Mr. Tharoor claimed there has been a "certain desire to leave a physical imprint on the national capital", but argued that not all changes are necessary.
"The new Parliament really does come across as a kind of soulless conference centre, and there are various reasons for it... They've got this enormously high ceiling, which completely destroys any possibility of intimacy. There was a coziness to the old chambers which encouraged conversation and exchange. Whereas there is a distancing in the layout, sort of fan-like layout.
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