SC dismisses a plea against a lion sculpture atop the Parliament building in Central Vista.
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation which alleged that the design of lion sculpture atop the under-construction Parliament building in the Central Vista violates the design of the national emblem approved under the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005.
The petitioners had contented that the lions in the sculpture unveiled by PM Narendra Modi in July appeared “ferocious and aggressive” with their “mouth open and canine visible” unlike the “calm and composed” ones in the original — emperor Ashoka’s Sarnath Lion Capital.
“Having heard the petitioner…and having gone through the emblem regarding which the grievance is made, it cannot be said that the same is in any way contrary to the provisions of the Act. It cannot be said that any of the provisions of Act 2005 are violated. The state emblem of India installed on the central vista project, New Delhi cannot be said to be in violation of the Act 2005 at the least,” the bench said dismissing the plea filed by two lawyers.
They pointed out that the four lions being representative of the four core spiritual philosophies of Buddha, is not merely a design, but has cultural and philosophical significance and contended that the logo of ‘Satyameva Jayate’ is missing from the emblem. A bench of justices says that it’s a matter of perception .
“The State emblem of India is a mark of identity of the Republic of India. The republic of India belongs to the people of India, we Indians. When this identity is unduly interfered with by the government, it hurts the national sentiment of its citizens.”On 26.01.1950, the State Emblem was adopted as a symbol and seal of the newly formed Republic of India. The statue came into existence in 2005. It describes the State Emblem of India as an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka which is preserved in the Sarnath Museum.
