NEW DELHI: The ‘
Sengol
‘ took center stage in
Parliament
on Thursday amidst an ongoing row remarks from
Samajwadi Party
(SP) MP RK
Chaudhary
, who referred to it as ‘Raja ka Danda’.
“The Constitution is the symbol of democracy. The BJP government, under PM Modi, installed the Sengol in Parliament. ‘Sengol’ means ‘Raj-Dand’ or ‘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,” said Chaudhary.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav defended Chaudhary, suggesting that the remark might serve as a reminder for the Prime Minister, who had bowed before the Sengol during its installation.
“When the Sengol was installed, the PM bowed before it. He might have forgotten this while taking the oath. Maybe our MP’s remark was to remind him of that,” Akhilesh said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party strongly condemned Samajwadi Party for its stance on Sengol and accused it of disrespecting Indian and Tamil culture.
“The Samajwadi Party opposes Sengol in Parliament, calling it ‘Raja ka Dand’. If it was so, why did Jawaharlal Nehru accept it? This shows their mindset. They attack Ramcharitmanas and now Sengol. Does DMK support this insult? They must clarify,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.
Union minister Chirag Paswan also expressed confusion over Chaudhary’s controversial approach, questioning whether he was elected for development or to engage in such divisive politics.
Paswan highlighted that symbols like the Sengol, which have been disrespected for decades, are now honoured by the Prime Minister. He also questioned why opposition leaders couldn’t adopt a more positive political approach.
The historic Sengol was installed by PM Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha chamber, next to the Speaker’s chair in the new Parliament building, on May 28, 2023, after performing a traditional puja.
This Sengol was originally accepted by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on the night of August 14, 1947, after being handed over by Adheenams.
The sceptre is five feet in length and has a Nandi, Lord Shiva’s sacred bull, on the top.
