The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Friday, when asked about the recent demands to bring Kohinoor diamond back, said that the government will continue to explore ways to get a satisfactory resolution on this, news agency PTI reported. Following the death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, the buzz around bringing back one of the world’s largest diamonds has surfaced again.
Bagchi, responding to the question, referred to the government's response to this in Parliament a few years ago.
"My understanding is that the government of India responded to it in Parliament a few years ago. We have said that we have been raising this matter from time to time with the UK government and we will continue to explore ways and means for obtaining a satisfactory resolution of the matter," he said.
One of the largest diamonds in the world - the 108-carat Kohinoor gem was given to Queen Victoria in 1849. Currently, the Kohinoor, or "mountain of light," diamond, set in the Maltese Cross in the crown made for Britain's late Queen Elizabeth.
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The 108-carat Kohinoor gem was given to Queen Victoria in 1849 by Maharajah Duleep Singh. The Queen Mother wore it on her crown in the year 1937. Recently, demands for its rightful return to India trended on Twitter.
{{/usCountry}}The 108-carat Kohinoor gem was given to Queen Victoria in 1849 by Maharajah Duleep Singh. The Queen Mother wore it on her crown in the year 1937. Recently, demands for its rightful return to India trended on Twitter.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier there were speculations that Britain’s new king Charles III’s wife - Queen Consort Camilla will be crowned with Kohinoor when Charles’s coronation happens in May next year. However, a report by Telegraph said that given the heat surrounding the ownership of the diamond and keeping in view the political sensitivity around the matter, she may not wear it anymore.
(With agency inputs)