The Debate Over ‘Sengol’ Vs. The Indian Constitution in Parliament
The installation of ‘sengol’ adjacent to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair has sparked a heated discussion during this Parliament session, with opposition MPs pushing for its replacement by a copy of the Indian Constitution.
Samajwadi Party MP from Mohanlalganj, RK Chaudhary, raised concerns about the relevance of ‘sengol’ (a handcrafted, gold-plated sceptre about 5 feet long) in a democratic setting in a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. He emphasized that the Constitution symbolizes democracy and called for the removal of ‘sengol’ to uphold the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
In response to Chaudhary’s remarks, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had bowed to ‘sengol’ during its installation, prompting a reminder from their MP about the importance of upholding constitutional principles over symbolic relics of the past.
The Opposition’s insistence on replacing ‘sengol’ with a focus on the Indian Constitution aligns with the INDIA bloc’s strategy to challenge the third Narendra Modi government. Throughout this session, the Constitution has been prominently displayed during Opposition gatherings, including protests led by senior INDIA leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav.
Addressing the criticism of ‘sengol’, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla defended its significance, questioning the opposition’s stance on an item accepted by leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru. Poonawalla criticized the Samajwadi Party for undermining cultural symbols like ‘sengol’ and called for clarity from other parties like the DMK on their stance.
The debate over ‘sengol’ versus the Indian Constitution reflects larger tensions between historical symbols and contemporary values in Indian politics, highlighting the ongoing struggle for defining the nation’s identity and governance.
#WATCH | On SP MP RK Chaudhary’s ‘Sengol’ means ‘Raja ka Danda’ remark, BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, “The Samajwadi Party has opposed Sengol in Parliament. It says that it is ‘Raja ka Dand’, if it was ‘Raja ka Dand’, why did Jawaharlal Nehru accept the Sengol? This… pic.twitter.com/gEB6Vyog7g
— ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024
In a political debate last year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress clashed over the symbolism of ‘sengol’ as a marker of the transfer of power from the British to the Indians in 1947, underscoring the complex narratives surrounding historical artifacts in modern governance.
