Two lawyers have moved the Supreme Court against the cast of the national emblem atop the new Parliament building alleging that its design violates the State Emblem of India (Prohibition Against Improper Use) Act.
The plea filed by advocates Aldanish Rein and Ramesh Kumar Mishra submitted that the lions portrayed in the emblem appear to be "ferocious and aggressive" with their "mouth open and canine visible.” The petition contended that the change in the design of the State emblem is manifestly arbitrary.
Opposition members and activists have accused the government of distorting the national emblem by replacing the “graceful and regally confident” Ashoka lions with those having menacing and aggressive posture and sought immediate change.
The state emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka which is preserved in the Sarnath Museum. The Lion Capital has four lions mounted back to back on a circular abacus.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on July 11th, unveiled the national emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament building and also attended a religious ceremony at the site.
