CHENNAI: There is no documented evidence to support the claim of the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam presenting the sceptre to Jawaharlal Nehru as a symbol of the transfer of power during India’s independence, said veteran Journalist N Ram in a press conference on Wednesday.
At the press conference titled “What truly transpired on August 14, 15-1947,” Veteran journalist N Ram said that the records only mention the presentation of the sceptre a few hours before independence, without any indication of it representing the transfer of power. He added that there is no material evidence to substantiate their claim that the sceptre was first given to Lord Mountbatten.
He said that Mountbatten’s minutes indicate his arrival in Delhi from Karachi on August 14, while reports suggest that the sceptre was presented to Nehru before the ceremony. N Ram emphasised that independence was achieved through the Indian Independence Act. He added that already the close associate of C Rajagopalachari also denied that he was nowhere involved in the presenting of the sceptre to Nehru and Mountbatten never mentioned anything about such a transfer of power by handing over the sceptre to Nehru. He termed the BJP’s claim a myth.