Tamil Nadu Seers Present Sceptre To PM Ahead Of New Parliament Opening

The seers from Tamil Nadu handed over a sacred sceptre to Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid chanting of mantras, a day ahead of the big parliament inauguration ceremony.

PM Modi met the priests or Adheenams, who flew down to the national capital today, at his official residence. The Prime Minister also sought their blessings.

At the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday, the Prime Minister will establish the historical and sacred "Sengol" close to the Chair of the Lok Sabha speaker.

'Sengol', a historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu, was kept in a museum in Allahabad.

Earlier this week, Home Minister Amit Shah said that the 'Sengol' was received by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to represent the transfer of power from the British.

Countering the Centre, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there is no documented evidence of Lord Mountbatten, C Rajagopalachari and Jawaharlal Nehru describing the 'Sengol' as a symbol of transfer of power by the British to India.

The Congress leader alleged that the Prime Minister and his drum-beaters are using the ceremonial sceptre for their political ends in Tamil Nadu.

"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 symbolize India's freedom but it was banished to a museum as a 'walking stick'," Mr Shah had tweeted in response.

As many as 20 opposition parties have decided to give the parliament inauguration function a miss, contending that it should have been done by President Droupadi Murmu.

With carpets from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, bamboo flooring from Tripura and stone carvings from Rajasthan, the new Parliament building reflects India's diverse culture, as per the government.