PIL in Supreme Court against ‘angry lions’ atop Central Vista

New Delhi, July 22

Amid raging controversy over “angry lions” visible in the National Emblem installed atop the under-construction Central Vista Building, two advocates have moved the Supreme Court, contending its design violated the State Emblem of India (Prohibition Against Improper Use) Act of 2005.

“The state emblem of India is the mark of the Identity of the Republic of India. The Republic of India belongs to We the Indians. When this identity is interfered with, it hurts the national sentiments of its citizens,” Advocates-on-Record Aldanish Rein and Ramesh Kumar Mishra submitted.

“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 the Indians. When this identity is unduly interfered with by the government, it hurts the national sentiment of its citizens,” they submitted.

They alleged that the lions portrayed in the emblem unveiled by the Prime Minister appeared to be “ferocious and aggressive” with their “mouth open and canine visible.”

This was in contrast with the State Emblem preserved in the Sarnath Museum in which the lions appeared to be “calm and composed”, they said, contending that by altering its design the government has “manifested gross arbitrariness in violating the sanctity of the state Emblem.”

The four lions being representative of the four core spiritual philosophies of Budhha, is not merely a design, but has cultural and philosophical significance, they submitted.

The newly installed State emblem atop the Central Vista had a visible difference in the design of lions which depicted a changed composure of lions than that of the Lion’s Capital of Ashoka preserved in the Sarnath museum, the petitioners submitted.

The government’s act to impinge upon the emblem without following due process was in derogation of Article 21, which envisaged the right to ‘one’s national pride and constitutional faith’, they contended.

To completely change the character and nature of the lions on the emblem and by missing the motto “Satyameva Jayate” written in Devanagari script below the profile of the Lion Capital as envisaged in the Act, is not only changing the basic message the piece of art wants to convey but it is in-fact a brazen insult to India’s National Symbol, the petitioners submitted.