Union Minister Smriti Irani criticised Congress on Friday for not attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s opening of the new Parliament building and claimed that the Gandhi family had put “Sengol” in a museum’s shadowy corner as a “stick of Nehruji.”
“‘Sengol’ which is a symbol of our freedom was kept in a dark corner of a museum as a ‘stick of Nehruji’ by the Gandhi family,” Ms Irani said while speaking to media persons.
“I would like to ask every Indian, putting ‘Sengol’ like this and referring to it as a walking stick doesn’t show what the Gandhi family thinks of countries history and democracy. So Gandhi family provoking like-minded people for not attending the inauguration of new Parliament building doesn’t surprise us,” Ms Irani said further.
Prior to this, former Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also attacked the opposition, claiming that by doing so, the Congress party is also opposing former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Speaking to ANI, the Union Minister on Friday took a jibe at Congress by showing an old issue of Time magazine. “This is the issue of Time magazine from August 25, 1947. I would like all our friends who are opposing the inauguration of the new Parliament building, to read this article and get some idea about the symbolism of ‘Sengol’ and what happened in 1947. By doing this drama, they (Opposition) are also opposing their own leader Jawaharlal Nehru,” he said.
On May 28, Prime Minister Modi will dedicate the new Parliament building to the nation. The “Sengol” memorial, which served as a reminder of the British Empire’s handover of sovereignty to India, will remain in the new Parliament building.
The Sengol was chosen by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Amrit Kaal’s national emblem. The exact identical event will take place in the new Parliament building, with Adheenam (Priests) performing the ritual again and vesting the PM with the Sengol.
The Prime Minister will place the same Sengol from 1947 prominently close to the Speaker’s podium in the Lok Sabha. It will be put on public display and brought out on significant events.
Notably, at least 21 opposition parties have made the decision to abstain from the inauguration ceremony because the PM will preside over it instead of President Droupadi Murmu.
