‘Raja ka danda or Constitution?’ Akhilesh Yadav's SP questions relevance of ‘sengol’ in Lok Sabha; BJP responds

The installation of ‘sengol’ adjacent to the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair has become a hot topic of discussion during this session, with opposition MPs advocating its replacement by a copy of the Indian Constitution.

Samajwadi Party MP from Mohanlalganj, RK Chaudhary, in a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, questioned the relevance of (a handcrafted, gold-plated sceptre about 5 feet long) in a democracy.

“The Constitution is the symbol of democracy. In its previous tenure, the BJP govt, under the leadership of PM Modi, installed 'Sengol' in Parliament. 'Sengol' means ‘Raj-Dand’," the SP leader told ANI.

“It also means 'Raja ka Danda'. After ending the princely order, the country became independent. Will the country be run by 'Raja ka danda' or the Constitution? I demand that Sengol be removed from Parliament to save the Constitution," he added.

Asked about Chaurdhary's remark, SP chief told media that his party leader wanted to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi about bowing to ‘sengol’, which he did while installing in the lower house.

“When 'sengol' was installed, the Prime Minister had bowed to it. But he forgot to bow while taking oath this time. I think our MP wanted to remind the Prime Minister about it," Yadav said.

The Opposition's 'sengol' strategy unfolds alongside the INDIA bloc's focus on the Constitution to challenge the third Narendra Modi government. Throughout this session, the has been prominently displayed at Opposition meetings.

On the opening day, senior INDIA leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, , and Akhilesh Yadav led a protest within Parliament grounds, brandishing copies of the Constitution. INDIA MPs, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, also carried copies of the Constitution