Sengol row: Amit Shah hits back after Congress calls Centre's claims 'bogus'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday accused the Congress of reducing the ceremonial sceptre Sengol, which will be installed near the chair of the speaker in the new Parliament building, to a "walking stick".

Amid the war of words between the ruling and opposition parties over the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Shah said the Congress needs to "reflect" on its behaviour as he denounced the party's claim that there was no evidence of the Sengol being a symbol of the transfer of power by the British to India in 1947.

"Why does the Congress party hate Indian traditions and culture so much? A sacred Sengol was given to Pandit Nehru by a holy Saivite Mutt from Tamil Nadu to symbolize India's freedom but it was banished to a museum as a 'walking stick'," Shah tweeted.

"Now, Congress has heaped another shameful insult. The Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a holy Saivite Mutt, itself spoke about the importance of the Sengol at the time of India's freedom," he said.

Congress, he further posted, is calling "Adheenam's history as BOGUS! Congress needs to reflect on their behaviour".

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday claimed there was no documented evidence of Lord Mountbatten, C Rajagopalachari and Jawaharlal Nehru describing the Sengol as a symbol of the transfer of power by the British to India.

The Sengol will be installed near the Chair of the Lok Sabha speaker after the new Parliament building is inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.

The event is being boycotted by 20 Opposition parties, including the Congress.