New Delhi: A day before the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was handed over the sceptre ‘Sengol’ which will be installed near the Speaker’s seat.
Modi took blessings of the Adheenam priests, who also presented the PM a special gift at his official residence here on Saturday evening.
Watch the handing over video tweeted by ANI:
#WATCH | Delhi | Ahead of the inauguration ceremony of #NewParliamentBuilding, PM Narendra Modi meets the Adheenams at his residence and takes their blessings. The Adheenams handover the #Sengol to the Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/0eEaJUAX58
— ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2023
The five-feet long Sengol, which triggered a political controversy over inauguration of the new Parliament, is made of silver and gold. It’s a symbol of the transfer of power from the British, and was handed over by Lord Mountbatten to Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947.
The sceptre, a symbol of governance in Tamil kingdoms, was then kept on display at the Allahabad Museum.
The Congress challenged BJP’s version, saying the Sengol had no connection to the freedom movement or India’s Independence.
“There is no documented evidence whatsoever of (Louis) Mountbatten, Rajaji (C Rajagopachari) and Nehru describing this spectre as a symbol of transfer of British power to India. All claims to this effect are plain and simple bogus,” senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.
Union Home minister Amit Shah hit back at the Congress, saying: “Why does the Congress party hate Indian traditions and culture so much? A sacred Sengol was given to Pandit Nehru by a holy Saivite Mutt from Tamil Nadu to symbolise India’s freedom but it was banished to a museum as a walking stick.”
