Lions looking more ‘snarled’: How Modi’s new National Emblem has stirred up political row

• Shubham
• 12 July, 2022

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By: Shubham Ghosh

IN India, every action that prime minister Narendra Modi does sparks a controversy. On Monday (11), he unveiled a bronze cast of India’s National Emblem — four Asiatic lions mounted back to back on a circular disc — atop the new parliament building and the critics have come hard at him for a number of reasons.

While there have been allegations that the prime minister did not care for the country’s constitution while inaugurating the cast as he is the chief of the executive and the act violated the constitution principle of ‘separation of powers’ and that by performing a puja at the unveiling event, the country’s secular credentials were being belittled, the look of the cast has also raised eyebrows.

The new statue, standing more than 21 foot, is reportedly adapted from an ancient Indian sculpture dating back to 250 BC (an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka which dates back to the times of the Maurya Empire) but the critics feel the lions got a makeover and looked more “ferocious” which strayed from their original depiction.

To those anguishing on Ashoka chakra emblem atop new parliament building, pl note: Distortion started with adoption of emblem itself. Emblem was on top of inverted lotus. Inverted lotus was removed. If lion image changed, why not bring back lotus too? Restore original Dharma! pic.twitter.com/xtpR33Zxqc

— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) July 12, 2022

While government sources said the installation of the National Emblem was an “important milestone in the decolonisation” of India’s capital city, many social media users said the lions in the new cast looked significantly different from their original depiction, adding that are now “snarled” and not “benevolent and regal”, BBC reported.

Modi has also come under criticism from the opposition over building a new parliament building which is part of his government’s £2 billion-plan to modernise Delhi’s old government buildings belonging to the colonial era.

The new building, which is still under construction, was expected to be completed by next month in time for the country’s celebrations of 75 years of Independence. But officials later said it would be completed only in October.