Nehru kept Sengol in museum, PM Modi installed it in Parliament: Nadda

Varanasi: Union minister and BJP president J P Nadda on Friday said while then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru kept the Sengol -- a Chola-era symbol that denoted transfer of power from the British in 1947 -- in the museum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi installed it in the new Parliament building as per Vedic traditions.

Speaking at the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam 3.0 here, Nadda said, "At the time of Independence, then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru kept the Sengol, a symbol of transfer of power, in the museum.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi installed it in the new Parliament building according to Vedic traditions. Be it east or west, north or south -- Prime Minister Modi has made many effort to maintain cultural unity across the country." The Sengol made of silver with a coating of gold, which Prime Minister Modi in 2023 described as a symbol of transfer of power that continues to inspire parliamentarians, was kept in the Nehru Gallery of Allahabad Museum before taking its pride of place in the new Parliament complex in Delhi.

Nadda said the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam, the Kashi-Telugu Sangamam, and the Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam are examples of the efforts made by the prime minister to bind the country in the thread of unity.

Such efforts help enrich the country's economic and cultural heritage as well as languages, he said.

Describing the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam as the union of two cultures, Nadda said, "This programme has been designed by binding the thread of unity in diversity of the far-sighted Indian culture." "Keeping in mind the 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' initiative, the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022," Nadda said.

The BJP chief also recalled the efforts made by Subramaniam Bharati, Adiveera Pandyan and Agastya Rishi to strengthen the unity of the country.

After his address, Nadda visited the exhibitions organised by various ministries under the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam initiative, and participated in the cultural events organised by the Union Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

He also offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.