Parliament Statue Row: Kharge Writes To LS Speaker, RS Chairman Against Relocation Of National Icons

Parliament Statue Row: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman over the relocation of statues of Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar and other prominent national icons to a new location in the Parliament complex and has sought that they be reinstalled at their original positions.

In a letter addressed to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman, the Leader of Opposition in the Upper House took exception to the statues being shifted "arbitrarily", saying that their relocation to a separate corner without any consultation amounts to a violation of "the basic spirit of democracy".

"I wish to emphasise at the very threshold that such removal of these statues arbitrarily, without any consultation, violates the basic spirit of our democracy. Needless to mention that the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and other national leaders were situated at prominent locations after due deliberation and consideration. Each statue and its location across the Parliament House complex held immense value and significance," Kharge said in his letter sent separately to the Speaker and RS Chairman.

Sharing the text of my letters to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Speaker of the Lok Sabha on the relocation of statues of major leaders in the Parliament House complex.

I am writing this letter in the context of relocation of statues of major leaders in the Parliament House… pic.twitter.com/yf26TUGoLs

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 19, 2024

Kharge pointed out that there exists a dedicated committee for the installation of portraits and statues of national leaders and MPs inside the Parliament complex. The 'Committee on the Installation of Portraits and Statues of National Leaders and Parliamentarians in the Parliament House Complex' has, however, not been reconstituted since 2019, he mentioned.

The original locations of Gandhi and Ambedkar's statues have been among the preferred spots for Opposition MPs to hold protests within the Parliament complex. The new location, where the statues of several national icons have been shifted, has been named 'Prerna Sthal', with the government claiming that the enclosure will give visitors a better sense and understanding of the country's legacy.

(With inputs from agencies)