'BJP/RSS distorians stand exposed': Congress' Jairam Ramesh on Sengol being installed inside New Parliament building

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed on Friday in a tweet that there is no evidence of the last Viceroy of India Lord Mountbatten, Governor-General C Rajagopalachari and the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru describing the golden sceptre Sengol as a symbol of transfer of power. He added any claims of the sceptre being a symbol of the transfer of power are bogus.

Ramesh said in his tweet: "There is NO documented evidence whatsoever of Mountbatten, Rajaji and Nehru describing this sceptre as a symbol of transfer of British power to India. All claims to this effect are plain and simple-- BOGUS."

He said that all the facts about the Sengol being a symbol of transfer of power are nothing but manufactured by a select group of people and circulated via WhatsApp. Ramesh said: "Wholly and completely manufactured in the minds of a few and dispersed into WhatsApp, and now to the drum beaters in the media. Two of the finest Rajaji scholars with impeccable credentials have expressed surprise".

He added the Sengol presented to Nehru was kept for display at the Allahabad Museum. As per Ramesh, Nehru's comments on December 14, 1947 are on public record.

Ramesh further said the Parliament being consecrated with "typically false narratives from WhatsApp University" is not a surprise. "Is it any surprise that the new Parliament is being consecrated with typically false narratives from WhatsApp University? The BJP-RSS distorians stand exposed yet again with maximum claims, minimum evidence," Congress general secretary communications said in his tweet.

He added that the Sengol is being used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his followers to meet their political ends in Tamil Nadu. He further said this brigade typically "embroiders facts to suit its twisted objectives". In keeping with the Congress' opposition of the inauguration of the new Parliament, Ramesh questioned the absence of President Droupadi Murmu from the proceedings.

The Sengol will be installed near the Lok Sabha speaker's chair after the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28. Jairam Ramesh's Twitter tirade did not go down without a counter from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Jawaharlal Nehru received the golden sceptre from a holy Saivite Mutt in Tamil Nadu to symbolise India's freedom but it was relegated as a 'walking stick' to a museum.

Shah tweeted: "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’.

He said in another tweet that a holy Saivite mutt Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam itself talked about the Sengol's importance at the time of India's freedom. Shah added that the Congress needs to reflect on its behaviour.

Moreover, BJP national president JP Nadda claimed in his tweet that most parties that are boycotting the New Parliament building's inauguration happen to be dynasty run political parties. The Congress is leading a boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 along with 19 other parties including Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction, and MK Stalin-led DMK among others.

He added these parties lack any commitment to democracy since their "sole aim is to perpetuate a select group of dynasties". The BJP national president also took aim at the Congress and said that they are unable to digest Narendra Modi's thumping electoral win in the 2014 and 2019 General Elections.

Nadda furthermore said: "The people of India are seeing how these parties are putting politics above the nation. These parties will be punished yet again by the people for their partisan politics!"

Also read: New Parliament building: SC dismisses plea seeking inauguration by President Murmu

Also read: New Parliament inauguration: Nothing unconstitutional about President not opening new building, says senior BJP leader