Key Stakes: New Parliament, Sengol, and the fight for 39 Lok Sabha seats

Sengol, earmarked for the new Parliament building, has ignited a contentious dispute between the ruling BJP and the Congress. The Center has accused the Congress of disrespecting Indian traditions, while the grand old party has termed the saffron party’s allegations as baseless. Amid verbal debate, the resplendent ‘Sengol’ has been shifted from the Allahabad Museum to the national capital in preparation for the upcoming inauguration of the new Parliament House.

Significantly, ‘Sengol’, the symbol of transfer of power from the British to India, will be kept as a heritage in the new Parliament House. It will be installed by the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha, preferably close to the Speaker’s seat. In the new building of the Parliament, the Adhyanam (priest) from Tamil Nadu will perform the rituals and offer sengol to PM Modi.

Congress vs BJP

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that there is no documentary evidence of Sengol being handed over to former PM Jawaharlal Nehru as a symbol of transfer of power. “There is no documentary evidence of Mountbatten, Rajaji and Nehru describing this scepter as a symbol of the transfer of British power in India. All claims to this effect are plain and simple – bogus. Completely in the minds of some Made and spread on WhatsApp, and now for the drummers in the media,” Ramesh said in a tweet.

Responding to his tweet, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Congress of hating Indian traditions. “Why does the Congress party hate Indian traditions and culture so much? A sacred sengol was given to Pandit Nehru by a sacred Shaivite monastery in Tamil Nadu as a symbol of India’s independence, but it was used as a ‘walking stick’. Was sent to museum. Now, Congress has done another shameful insult. Thiruvaduthurai Adhanam, the holy Shaivite monastery, itself spoke about the importance of Sengol at the time of India’s independence. Congress is calling Adhanam’s history fake The Congress needs to consider their behaviour,” Shah said.

Sengol’s Tamil Nadu Connection

The historical scepter ‘Sengol’ was received by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947 to represent the symbol of the transfer of power from the British to India. It was then made by Wummidi Bangaru Jewellers. According to official documents, Jawaharlal Nehru was asked by Lord Mountbatten how the transfer of powers would be symbolised. Nehru consulted C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor General of India, who told him about the ceremony performed during the Chola dynasty. The ceremony marked the transfer of power from one king to another by handing over the ‘Sengol’.

C Rajagopalachari was given the task of arranging the scepter- ‘Sengol’ by Jawahar Lal Nehru and he then reached the Thiruvaduthurai Atheneum in Tamil Nadu, “Vummidi Bangaru Chetty” jewelers made the ‘Sengol’. The ‘Sengol’ is five feet tall and has a ‘Nandi’ bull on the top, which is a symbol of justice. Notably, a replica of ‘Sengol’ is still kept by the descendants of Wummidi Bangaru. This prestigious event was reported by the local as well as international media. Right after the ceremony, PM Nehru delivered his famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech to the nation.

The five-feet long intricately carved, gold-plated silver scepter, topped by an urn of Nandi (the divine bull deity), was specially commissioned by Thiruvaduthurai Aadheenam. A replica of Sengol is still housed in the Wummidi Bangaru Jewellery, and is maintained by Wummidi Bangaru’s descendants.

BJP, Tamil Nadu and Sengol

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the BJP is using Sengol to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu. “Now in Tamil Nadu the Prime Minister and his drummer are using the scepter for their political gains. It is typical of this brigade which twists facts to suit their perverse purposes,” he said.

BJP does not have any Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu. The state has 39 Lok Sabha seats and the saffron party is keen to win some parliamentary seats from the south as it may lose several Lok Sabha seats from the north due to the changed political equations in the 2024 elections. The BJP is out of power in Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand. This could affect the BJP’s Lok Sabha seats and thus if the party manages to make inroads in South India, it could do wonders for the ruling party. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP came second in five seats in Tamil Nadu – Coimbatore, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Kanyakumari and Thoothikudi. The saffron party will contest the elections in alliance with the AIADMK. With a weakened opposition in Tamil Nadu following the demise of J Jayalalithaa, the BJP under the leadership of state party chief K Annamalai has adopted an aggressive posture in the state.

Shri Harihara Desika Swamigal, the head priest of Madurai Adhanam, who offered ‘Sengol’ to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has said that Modi should return as PM again in 2024. This shows that the efforts of PM Modi and BJP are slowly bearing fruit and the people of Tamil Nadu are opening their hearts for them.

Prime Minister Modi has displayed keen involvement in the affairs of Tamil Nadu, exemplified by his active participation in events such as the Kashi Tamil Sangam and the inauguration of Vande Bharat Express trains for the state. PM Modi has consistently praised the Tamil community and the Tamil language, describing it as India’s oldest language and a symbol of Indian culture. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) currently out of power in its ‘Gateway of the South’ (Karnataka), a successful foray into the Tamil Nadu bastion will serve as a significant boost for the saffron brigade and another accolade for Narendra Modi. Will do ,