HISTORICAL 'SENGOL' GETS INSTALLED BY PM MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday installed the sacred 'Sengol' in the Lok Sabha chamber, right next to the Speaker's chair in the new Parliament building, after performing puja.

PM Modi was handed over the historic 'Sengol' by Adheenams before its installed in the new Parliament building.

   PM Modi took a decision to adopt Sengol as a national symbol of the Amrit Kaal.

This is the same Sengol that was accepted by the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru at his residence on the night of August 14, in the presence of several leaders.

    The ceremony has begun with a traditional 'pooja' with Vedic rituals which will continue for an hour. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also present with along with PM Modi during the pooja.

   Modi said "your sevak" and the government has brought the Sengol out of Anand Bhawan in Prayagraj. Anand Bhawan was the residence of the Nehru family and has been converted into a museum. Sengol holds significance not only because it was a sacred symbol of power transfer in 1947, it is also significant as it connected the glorious traditions of pre-colonial India to the future of independent India, Modi said. It would have been good if the sacred Sengol was given its due respect and an honourable position after Independence, but it was kept on display as a "walking stick" in Anand Bhawan, Prayagraj.

"Your 'sevak' and our government have brought the Sengol out of Anand Bhawan." He said a question had arisen over the symbol of the transfer of power from the British in 1947 and under the guidance of C Rajagopalachari and Adheenams a virtuous path of power transfer through Sengol was found from out of ancient Tamil culture. As a symbol of the transfer of power, special 'Sengol' was made by holy Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam in 1947, he said. "I am delighted that the symbol of India's great tradition, Sengol, will be installed in the new Parliament building," Modi said.

    The Congress, which has boycotted the inauguration event, on Friday claimed there is no documentary evidence of Lord Mountbatten, C Rajagopalachari, and Jawaharlal Nehru describing the 'Sengol' as a symbol of the transfer of power from the British to India.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi said: "We all know the important role of Tamil Nadu in our independence struggle". In every era, Tamil Nadu has been the centre of Indian nationalism, he said. "The people of Tamil Nadu always had the feeling of service. It is very unfortunate that the contribution of the people of Tamil Nadu in India's independence was not given the importance it should have been given," he said, adding the BJP has started raising this issue prominently. "The people of the country are getting to know what treatment was meted out to the great Tamil tradition," the PM said.