evidence: But the building’s inauguration has faced heavy criticism. On Wednesday, 19 opposition parties announced a boycott of the event, accusing the government of "constitutional impropriety." And the Supreme Court is expected to hear a case on Friday relating to the inauguration ceremony. [...] On Wednesday, a joint statement issued by 19 national and regional opposition parties stated that Modi’s decision to "inaugurate the new parliament building by himself" was "not only a grave insult but a direct assault on our democracy which demands a commensurate response." The parties plan to collectively boycott the event, adding that "the soul of democracy has been sucked out from the parliament." [...] The BJP has defended its decision by saying the new building is a matter of pride for all Indians and accused the opposition of "politicizing" the inauguration. India’s Home Minister Amit Shah said that all political parties had been invited to the ceremony, but that "everyone will act according to their own feelings," at a press conference on Wednesday. The tussle is yet another reminder of the strained relationship between the governing BJP and the opposition parties, who most recently protested the parliamentary disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, the de facto leader of the Congress Party, India’s main opposition party after he was charged and convicted of defamation in March. A Congress spokesperson previously told TIME that the charges were "flimsy and cooked up."