Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and member of Rajya Sabha Jawhar Sircar, on Tuesday, slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he unveiled the national emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament building in New Delhi on Monday.
Taking to his verified Twitter handle, Sircar posted two pictures drawing a comparison to the original Lion Capital of Ashoka and the latest Lions. In the caption, he called it an insult to the national symbol and the majestic Ashokan Lions.
He wrote, "Original is on the left, graceful, regally confident. The one on the right is Modi’s version, put above new Parliament building — snarling, unnecessarily aggressive and disproportionate. Shame! Change it immediately!"
Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra also tweeted a side-by-side picture of the Ashokan Lion comparing a past sculpture and the latest structure.
The national emblem is an adaption of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The statue is a three-dimensional emblem showing four lions mounted back to back on a circular abacus. It features a Dharma Chakra, a bull and a horse underneath.
The new statue following a puja that was attended by PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The emblem is a part of the new Parliament building project, which highlights the government's Central Vista project being built by Tata Projects. The proposed four-storey building spread over 13 acres is expected to be completed by October.
