Samajwadi Party MP RK Chaudhary caused controversy by calling for the historic sceptre, the Sengol, to be replaced with the Constitution in the Lok Sabha. This demand led to strong criticism from the BJP and other NDA allies.
In a letter to pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, RK Chaudhary described the Sengol as an “anachronistic symbol of monarchy” in a democratic India. Explaining his reasoning, Chaudhary stated, “Sengol means ‘Raj Dand’. It also means ‘Raja ka Danda’. After ending the princely order, the country became independent. Will the country be run by ‘Raja ka danda’ or the Constitution? I demand that Sengol be removed from Parliament to save the Constitution.”
The Sengol, placed in the Lok Sabha during the inauguration of the new Parliament building last year, was initially presented to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, as a symbol of the transfer of power from the British to the Indian people.
Chaudhary’s remarks drew heavy criticism from the BJP, with the party accusing the Samajwadi Party of being “hell-bent” on insulting an integral part of Indian and Tamil culture.
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BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla questioned, “If it was a symbol of monarchy, then why did the first Prime Minister Nehru accept it? Was he accepting that symbol and monarchy?”
LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan also responded, asserting that Congress and Congress-led governments have always tried to misrepresent historical symbols. “These people cannot do positive politics… They only engage in politics of division,” he said.
Amid the controversy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav explained that Chaudhary was highlighting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not bow before the Sengol after taking his oath in the Lok Sabha. He suggested that the PM, having bowed before the Sengol during its installation, might have forgotten to do so when taking the oath.
RJD MP Manoj Jha also defended the Samajwadi Party, criticizing the PM’s conduct and suggesting that a replica of the Constitution would be more appropriate to symbolize the governance of the country.
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