‘Left in the lurch, labelled walking stick’: Modi jabs Congress over ‘Sengol’

PM Modi addressed Adheenams at his residence in Delhi, who arrived earlier today to hand over the ‘Sengol’, which will be installed in the new Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed Adheenams at his residence on the eve of the inauguration of the new Parliament building. The event was marked by the arrival of the Tamil Nadu based spiritual group, who had arrived in Delhi earlier today, to hand over the ‘historic Sengol’ to PM Modi, which will be installed in the new Parliament building on Sunday.

Adheenams handed over the 'Sengol' to PM Modi at his residence in Delhi on Saturday.

PM Modi said he was elated that the Adheenams would be present at the inauguration ceremony tomorrow to bless the auspicious occasion. “Tamil Nadu played a very crucial role in the independence struggle of India…Rani Velu Nachiyar and many other people belonging to Tamil Nadu have always exhibited values of nationalism in different eras…,” PM Modi said, alleging that despite the valuable contributions, Tamil Nadu was not given its due credit in the chapters chronicling the freedom movement.

Taking a veiled jibe at the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance governments, PM Modi said, “It would have been better if the ‘Sengol’ had been given its due place in history…but it left in the lurch in a museum in Prayagraj, labelled as ‘walking stick’...the present government will place the Sengol in the new Parliament building and revive its history…”

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prominently raked this issue…(due to our efforts)...the public has come to know of the step motherly treatment given to Tamil Nadu....” he said.

Speaking on the significance of the ‘Sengol’, PM Modi said, “The historic sceptre symbolises the shift of power…In Tamil Nadu’s tradition, whoever was handed over the ‘Sengol’, was trusted with the welfare of the country.” He further referred to the “special” ‘Sengol’ (which will be installed in Parliament) that was “prepared by the leader of the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam in 1947”. “…it holds high significance because it not only represented a shift of power, it served as a connecting bridge between the ancient and glorious traditions of India of pre-colonial times and the future of the independent India,” PM Modi said.

He also hailed the contribution of the Adheenams in carrying the legacy of historical traditions and said that the renewed spotlight on ‘Sengol’ will reintroduce their “crucial” role in nation building.

He hailed the social works carried out by the spiritual group towards helping people, and promoting togetherness and kindness, and said that “togetherness will bring Indians closer".

Emphasising the importance of preserving this unity, he remarked, “those who don't like India’s progress, try to divide our country’s unity.”