Khushi Bajpai
Published on: October 1, 2022 at 18:58 IST
On September 30, 2022, the Supreme Court rejected a claim that the sculptured lions atop the new Parliament building appeared “ferocious and violent,” stating that such an impression is totally subjective and rests on the viewer’s perception.
The sculpture does not infringe the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, according to a bench chaired by Justice M.R. Shah.
Advocates Aldanish Rein and Ramesh Kumar Mishra argued that the new symbol clashed with the definition and layout of the state emblem under the 2005 Act’s Schedule.
“The State Emblem of India is a symbol of the Republic of India’s national identity. We, the Indians, are the owners of the Republic of India. When this identification is improperly disturbed.”
They claimed that the lions at Sarnath, which served as the inspiration for the state emblem, were “calm and peaceful.”
They were more than just a pretty picture; they symbolized Lord Buddha’s essential spiritual tenets.
“It cannot be argued that any of Act 2005’s requirements have been broken. At the very least, it cannot be stated that the State Emblem of India shown in the Central Vista project in New Delhi violates the Act 2005. The Writ petition is denied,” the Bench commanded.