Sengol, a symbol of transfer of power from the British that has been installed in Parliament, was at the center of a BJP-Congress verbal duel in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday as the Congress claimed that an untrue story was told about its significance and the government countered it.
The opposition parties, mainly Congress members, objected to the mention of Sengol by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav during a discussion on the “Glorious Journey of 75 Years of The Constitution of India” in the Upper House.
Yadav said that when the Sengol was given during the transfer of power at the time of independence, it was treated as a “walking stick” of Jawaharlal Nehru instead of a symbol of justice.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, however, objected to the remarks, saying that it was not given to anyone. Yadav then said that the Congress member has not spoken on where the Sengol was kept for the past 75 years.
Rajiv Shukla, who was presiding the House, allowed Ramesh to speak.
Ramesh said that the ruling party has spread a story about the Sengol and “this is not history”.
“It was not handed over formally to someone. Some people came and gave Sengol in a celebration and they have created a history out of it,” he said.
Making an intervention, Leader of the House J P Nadda said that Lord Mountbatten had asked Nehru about the process or ritual or tradition of handing over power in India when the country was getting independence. But Nehru stated that he was not aware of any such tradition or ritual.