The 'sengol' was installed in the Lok Sabha chamber after a ceremony last year
The 'sengol' installed next to the Speaker's chair in Lok Sabha has emerged as the latest flashpoint this Parliament session after Opposition MPs questioned its relevance in a democracy and the BJP accused them of disrespecting Indian culture.
The ongoing debate over 'sengol', a handcrafted, gold-plated sceptre about 5-feet long, has been triggered by Samajwadi Party MP RK Chaudhary's letter to Speaker Om Birla. The MP from Mohanlalganj has said the 'sengol' must be replaced by a copy of the Constitution.
"The adoption of the Constitution marked the beginning of democracy in the country, and the Constitution is its symbol. The BJP government in its last term installed 'sengol' next to the Speaker's chair. Sengol is a Tamil word that means sceptre. Rajdand also means the king's stick. We have become independent after the age of kings. Now, every man and woman who is an eligible voter chooses the government to run this country. So will the country run by Constitution or by a king's stick?" he told news agency ANI. The former Uttar Pradesh minister demanded that the 'sengol' be replaced by a copy of the Constitution to "save democracy".
The Samajwadi Party is the third-largest party in this Lok Sabha, after Akhilesh Yadav led it to a stellar show by winning 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Asked about his party MP's remark, Mr Yadav said, "When 'sengol' was installed, the Prime Minister had bowed to it. But he forgot to bow while taking oath this time. I think our MP wanted to remind the Prime Minister about it."
Senior Congress leader and MP B Manickam Tagore echoed the Samajwadi Party MP on the 'sengol' row. "We have been very clear that the 'sengol' symbolises kingship and the kingdom-era is over. We should celebrate the people's democracy and the Constitution," he told NDTV.
Mr Chaudhary's demand was also backed by RJD MP and Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti. "Whosoever has demanded this, I welcome it," she said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Samajwadi Party has no respect for Indian history or culture. "The remarks of their top leaders on the Sengol are condemnable and indicate their ignorance. It also shows INDIA bloc's hatred to Tamil culture in particular," Yogi Adityanath said.
The Opposition's 'sengol' offensive also plays out against the backdrop of the INDIA bloc's Constitution push to take on the third Narendra Modi government. From the beginning of this session, the Constitution has been a common sight in the Opposition's gatherings. On the first day of the session, top INDIA leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, among others, staged a demonstration on Parliament premises holding copies of the Constitution. The INDIA MPs, including Mr Gandhi and Mr Yadav, also held copies of the Constitution while taking the oath.
The BJP, meanwhile, has hit back at the Opposition over its 'sengol' offensive. "The Samajwadi Party earlier attacked and abused Ramcharitmanas and now Sengol, which is part of Indian culture and particularly Tamil culture. The DMK must clarify if they support this insult of 'sengol'," he said.
During the 'sengol's installation in Lok Sabha last year, Home Minister Amit Shah had said it was an attempt to link our cultural traditions with our modernity. "We want the administration to run by the rule of law, and this will always remind us of that," he said.