A controversy erupted on Tuesday about the National Emblem cast over the new Parliament building where the Opposition says it “looks aggressive” to deviate from the Lion Capital in Sarnath, and artists have denied the accusation, saying the iconic design is fully observed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 9,500kg bronze structure in a ceremony on Monday, attended by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, Union ministers Hardeep Puri and Pralhad Joshi, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, and others.
Opposition leaders said the 6.5 -meter high structure featured lions with exposed fangs, unlike the Lion Capital in Sarnath, which consisted of four Asiatic lions standing in the rear and adopted as official emblem of India in 1950.
Congress called the “deviation” from the design an “insult” to the emblem. Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “To completely change the character and nature of the lions in Ashoka’s pillar in Sarnath is nothing but an eternal insult to the national symbol of India!”
But Sunil Deore and Romiel Moses, who designed the 9,500kg bronze emblem, told news channel NDTV that there was “no deviation” in the design. “We paid attention to detail. The nature of lions is the same. There may be very little difference. People may have different interpretations. It’s a huge statue, and a view from below can give an ugly impression, ”Deore said.
“The Emblem over the new Parliament is meant to be viewed from at least 100m away. So, the details in the sculpture have to be such that it is visible from such a distance,” he added.
In a series of tweets, Union housing and urban affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the impact of “angle, height and size when comparing the two structures” needs to be appreciated because the emblem on the surface of the new Parliament building is 6.5m high, while the original was 1.6m.
“One needs to appreciate the effect of angle, height and size when comparing the two structures. If one looks at the Sarnath emblem from below it will look calm or angry like the one being discussed,” Puri tweeted.
In another tweet, Puri said, “If an exact copy of the original is to be placed in the new building, it will hardly be visible beyond the peripheral rail. ‘Experts’ should also know that the original placed in Sarnath is in ground level while the new emblem is at a height of 33 mtrs from the ground. ” He added that there would be no difference in design whether the Sarnath emblem would be enlarged or the emblem in the new Parliament building would be reduced to that size.
The State Emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Asoka preserved in the Sarnath Museum. The Lion Capital, built in 250BC, has four lions mounted back and forth on a circular abacus. The abacus frieze is decorated with sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a running horse, a bull, and a lion separated by intervening Dharma Chakras. The abacus rests on the bell-shaped lotus, as mentioned in the State Emblem of India (prohibition of improper use) Act, 2005.
The 2005 Act prohibits the illegal and improper use of the emblem or its colorful imitation for commercial or any other purpose without prior government approval. The emblem cannot be part of any trademark, patent or design either, and violations can get imprisonment for up to two years in prison along with a monetary penalty.
However, the law, which exclusively allows the central government to regulate the use of the emblem, does not mention the consequences if there is any deviation in the design.
Housing ministry officials said the structure was a perfect replica of the National Emblem.
“The Lion Capital of our National Emblem is the adoption of the Lion Capital of Ashoka. The Sarnath Lion Capital is approximately 7 feet and the emblem thrown at the new Parliament is at 21 feet. Apart from the size, the adaptation of the emblem is the exact replica, ”said a senior official.
But opposition parties, who were not invited for the event, and some members of civil society criticized the government for the alleged design change.
The leader of the Lok Sabha Congress, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said everyone knew the PM’s attitude of “caring_who_he” while referring to the Center’s decision not to invite opposition leaders to the event where Modi unveiled the emblem . “The single show unveiling the national emblem of PM @narendramodi Ji, has already garnered questions including constitutional ownership, especially democratic values. We are all familiar with our PM’s “#Who_Cares_Whom.”
Rashtriya Janata Dal said that the lions in the original emblem had a “passion” on the face whereas the one designed in “Amrit Kaal” looked like “a passion of the person who eats everything in the country”. Amrit Kaal refers to the period between 2022 and 2047, when India marked 100 years of independence and was created by the PM.
