Sengol Vs Constitution: Samajwadi Party MP Calls For Removal Of 'Rajdand'

Picture Source: ANI

New Delhi: The ‘sengol’ installed next to the speaker’s chair last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is once again surrounded by controversies, as soon as the parliamentary sessions kicked off this week. The opposition MPs are questioning the relevance of the 'sengol' in a democracy by labelling it ‘Rajdand (King’s stick)’. While the BJP is accusing 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 (SP) 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. 

Chaudhary while talking about the matter told ANI, "The Constitution is the symbol of democracy. After ending the princely order, the country became independent. Will the country be run by 'Raja ka danda' or the Constitution? I demand that Sengol be removed from Parliament to save the Constitution." 

The former Uttar Pradesh minister called for the 'sengol' to be replaced with a copy of the Constitution to ‘save democracy’. 

The SP chief backed his party MP’s demands and said, “When the Sengol was installed, the PM bowed before it. He might have forgotten this while taking the oath. Maybe our MP's remark was to remind him of that," reported ANI.   

The Samajwadi Party, under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav, achieved a remarkable performance by winning 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh, making it the third-largest party in this Lok Sabha.  

However, the BJP leader responded to the Opposition's 'sengol' criticism and said that the Samajwadi Party previously attacked and insulted Ramcharitmanas, and now they are targeting Sengol, which is an integral part of Indian and especially Tamil culture. The DMK must clarify if they endorse this disrespect towards 'sengol'," he stated. 

The Opposition's 'sengol' protest is part of their effort to challenge Narendra Modi 3.0. Throughout this session, the Constitution has been a key symbol for the Opposition. On the first day, top leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav held a demonstration in Parliament, holding copies of the Constitution. Many Opposition MPs, including Gandhi and Yadav, carried copies of the Constitution while taking their oaths.