Political messaging behind timing of installation of Rajaji’s bust?

NEW DELHI: The timing of installation of C Rajagopalachari's bust replacing Edward Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhawan gains significance as the southern state is going for polls in next few months where BJP has struggled to make major inroads. The invitees to Monday's event also included “guests from Tamil Nadu”.

The replacement of Lutyens bust with Rajaji serves a dual purpose — it strengthens the govt’s anti-colonial narrative at national level and in Tamil Nadu, it signals honouring a Tamil statesman by placing his bust in the residence of the head of state.




In his address at the programme, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Rajaji was a symbol of Indian civilisation and the sacred ‘sengol’, which has been placed in Parliament was a realisation of his vision. Rajaji was pivotal in sourcing the ‘sengol’ scepter to symbolise the 1947 transfer of power from British to Indian hands. Drawing from Chola dynasty tradition, he had suggested this golden sceptre, created by Vummidi Bangaru Chetty, to represent righteous rule and the authority handover to Jawaharlal Nehru.

The sengol was placed in the Lok Sabha in the new Parliament when it was inaugurated in 2023 and it was seen as an outreach to Tamil identity. Govt has also organised the Kashi Tamil Sangamam at Varanasi, linking the temple town in Uttar Pradesh with Tamil scholars and people to highlight cultural ties.
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