PM’s Historic, Huge Gesture on Sengol; Parl Inauguration on Savarkar Jayanti Coincidence: Annamalai to News18

The sengol (sceptre), which the Bharatiya Janata Party says was presented by the last viceroy of British India Lord Mountbatten to Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947, to mark the transfer of power from Britain to India, being placed in the new parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 is a historic and huge gesture, BJP’s Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai told CNN-News18 on Saturday.

He thanked PM Modi for “honouring Tamil people and Tamil culture”, adding that the sengol has found national acceptance and appreciation.

“Many of my north Indian friends have connected to know more and understand more,” he told CNN-News18.

Several people recommended it, and Adheenams also wrote in, after the Kashi Tamil Sangam, said Annamalai.

“I also made a suggestion as a karyakarta. The credit goes to the PM for making the choice,” he said. “That it coincides with Savarkar Jayanti is incidental. Any date will have some aspect of history. It is a good choice even if it is deliberate.”

Annamalai also urged all Tamil Nadu MPs to attend the function and said it will be an insult to 8.5 crore people of the state if any of these lawmakers boycott the event.

“AIADMK, PMK and DMK MPs will attend. I urge Tamil Nadu Congress MPs to also attend,” he said. “People will punish those who skip it.”