The 'sengol' erected next to the Speaker's chair in Lok Sabha has become the newest flashpoint of this Parliament session, with opposition MPs questioning its importance in a democracy and the BJP accusing them of insulting Indian culture.

The continuing dispute over 'sengol', a handcrafted, gold-plated sceptre around 5-feet long, has been sparked by a letter from Samajwadi Party MP RK Chaudhary to Speaker Om Birla. The MP from Mohanlalganj has stated that the 'sengol' must be replaced with a copy of the Constitution.

Sengol Image Source: Amazon.in

“The adoption of the Constitution marked the beginning of democracy in the country, and the Constitution is its symbol. The BJP government in its last term installed 'sengol' next to the Speaker's chair. Sengol is a Tamil word that means sceptre. Rajdand also means the king's stick. We have become independent after the age of kings. Now, every man and woman who is an eligible voter chooses the government to run this country. So will the country run by Constitution or by a king's stick?" he told news agency ANI. The former Uttar Pradesh minister demanded that the 'sengol' be replaced by a copy of the Constitution to "save democracy".

The Samajwadi Party is the third-largest party in the Lok Sabha, thanks to Akhilesh Yadav's impressive performance in Uttar Pradesh, where he won 37 seats.

Samajwadi Party's Stance on Sengol

When asked about his party MP's statement, Mr. Yadav responded, "When 'sengol' was installed, the Prime Minister bowed to it. This time, however, he forgot to bend when taking the pledge. I believe our MP wanted to remind the Prime Minister about it."

Senior Congress leader and MP B Manickam Tagore echoed the Samajwadi Party MP on the 'sengol' issue. "We have been very clear that the represents kingship, and the kingdom-era is ended. He told NDTV, "We should celebrate the people's democracy and the constitution."

Mr Chaudhary's demand was also supported by RJD MP and Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter, Misa Bharti. "Whosoever has demanded this, I welcome it," she told me.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that the Samajwadi Party has no regard for Indian history or culture. "Their top officials' words about the Sengol are condemnable and demonstrate their ignorance. It also demonstrates the INDIA bloc's hatred for Tamil culture in particular," Yogi Adityanath stated.

The Opposition's 'sengol' effort takes place against the backdrop of the INDIA bloc's Constitutional push to challenge the third Narendra Modi administration. The Constitution has been a familiar appearance at Opposition gatherings since the beginning of this session. On the first day of the session, senior INDIA politicians Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav, among others, held a demonstration on Parliament grounds, brandishing copies of the Constitution. The INDIA MPs, including Mr Gandhi and Mr Yadav, clutched copies of the Constitution while taking the oath.

Meanwhile, the BJP has retaliated against the opposition over its 'sengol' attack. "The Samajwadi Party has already insulted and degraded Ramcharitmanas, and now all of which are part of Indian culture, particularly Tamil culture. "The DMK must clarify if they support the insult of 'sengol'," he remarked.

During the 'sengol's installation in Lok Sabha last year, Home Minister Amit Shah had said it was an attempt to link our cultural traditions with our modernity. "We want the administration to run by the rule of law, and this will always remind us of that," he said.

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