Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman, requesting that the statues of national icons -- Mahatma Gandhi, Shivaji, BR Ambedkar and others -- in Parliament Complex be returned to their original spots. The statues have been relocated to Prerna Sthal, a dedicated area at the back of the complex. The decision has been strongly criticised by Opposition parties, who are demanding a rollback.
Mr Kharge had posted his views on X on Sunday – when Prerna Sthal was inaugurated -- pointing out that the dedicated committee for such purposes, which includes MPs from both Houses, has not been reconstituted since 2019.
Underscoring the point today, he said making the decision without any consultation is "arbitrary" and "unilateral".
He posted his letter on X, in which he said the removal of the statues "arbitrarily, without any consultation, violates the basic spirit of our democracy".
The political row over the decision to shift the statues has been simmering for weeks. While there has been no response from the BJP, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has explained the decision in a statement.
"Due to their location at different places in the Parliament Complex, visitors were not able to view these statues conveniently. For this reason, all these statues are being respectfully installed in a grand Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House Complex itself," the statement read.
Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who inaugurated Prerna Sthal on Sunday, said the spot is "motivational and inspirational and whoever spends time here will be inspired".
"People get inspiration from such great men...I think that the Prerna Sthal will always inspire the coming generations," said Om Birla, former Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
'Congress Allowed Illegal Migration Of Foreign Militants': JP Nadda On Manipur Letter Vs Letter As BJP, Congress Clash Over Manipur Crisis "Era Of Cooperation, Not Conflict": PM Says Democracy, Not Expansionism Is The Way "Moving Towards One Party, One Nation": Uddhav Thackeray On BJP Victory 3 Dead, Over 30 Cops Injured: Violence In UP's Sambhal Over Mosque Survey After Mega Maharashtra Victory, NDA's Oath Ceremony Likely Tomorrow Iran To Hold Nuclear Talks With European Powers: Report Maharashtra NEET PG 2024: Counselling Round 1 Choice Filling Ends Tomorrow "Tolerance" Festival In Bangladesh Cancelled After Islamist Threats Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.