It seems the needless controversy over the national emblem installed on the new parliament will not stop soon. After opposition parties and left-liberals claimed that the four lions of the National Emblem look ferocious and aggressive, and they look different from the original Lion Capital in Sarnath, two lawyers have reached the supreme court against the installation.
Two Advocates-on-Record have petitioned the Supreme Court against the National Emblem erected atop the new parliament building, alleging that its design violates the State Emblem of India (Prohibition Against Improper Use) Act of 2005. Advocates Aldanish Rein and Ramesh Kumar Mishra claim that the lions represented in the emblem unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appear to be “ferocious and aggressive” with their “mouth open and canine visible unlike the State Emblem kept in the Sarnath Museum, where the lions appear to be “calm and composed”.
According to the petition, the Central Government has “manifested gross arbitrariness in violating the sanctity of the state Emblem”. The plea further states, “The state emblem of India is the mark of the Identity of the Republic of India. The Republic of India belongs to We the Indians. When this identity is interfered with, it hurts the national sentiments of its citizens.”
On July 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the National Emblem cast on the roof of the New Parliament Building. The majestic 6.5 meters tall cast of the National Emblem is made of bronze and weighs around 9,500 KG. Located on the top of the Central Foyer of the New Parliament Building, the statue has a supporting structure that weighs around 6,500 KG.
Several opposition parties have criticized the state emblem’s depiction of the four lions and claimed that the Modi government has disfigured the emblem in violation of the Constitution. After the photographs of the installation were published, they claimed that the Modi govt made the lions aggressive, opened their mouths more making their canine visible. However, the govt has rejected the claims, saying that the mouths of the lions look more open because the photos were taken from a lower angle. Moreover, the installation is much larger than the original Lion Capital, that’s why everything looks bigger creating an impression that the lions have been made more aggressive.
Sunil Deore, sculptor of the bronze lion capital, has made it clear that the cast is a replica of the sculpture at Sarnath only at a larger scale. He said that while the cast is bigger, the proportions are same. “We tried to keep in mind the exact proportions. The original structure is 3 to 3.5 feet high, but the new one is 21.3 feet tall,” he said. Deora also said that there was no influence on anyone on how to construct the cast. He also said that the photos being circulated on social media were taken from below at wide angle, creating the impression that the mouths are more open. He confirmed that there is no difference between the original and the one on the new parliament, and it is an authentic replica of the original. He said that the original was studied minutely before making the cast.
