AURANGABAD: Amid a row over the national emblem installed atop the new Parliament building in Delhi, its sculptor Sunil Deore said the sculpture should be seen from a distance and from the same angle as the original version at Sarnath is viewed.
The controversy over the national emblem atop the new Parliament building erupted on Tuesday with the opposition accusing the government of giving a "ferocious" look to the sculpture and insulting the symbol, while the BJP dismissed it as yet another "conspiracy" to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi had on Monday unveiled the cast of the national emblem on top of the new Parliament building.
The new statue is an adaptation of an ancient sculpture 'Lion Capital of Ashoka' at Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh, dating back to 250 BC.
Its sculptor Deore, who is based in Aurangabad, claimed that he has made the replica of the emblem based on its original version, and added that the new sculpture should be viewed from a distance.
"The original structure is 3.5 feet, while the height of the new one is seven meters. The photo (of the one atop Parliament) which has gone viral on social media is shot from the ground-level angle. But if it is clicked in the manner that shows it parallel to the ground, we can see that it was copied from the national emblem," he told a news channel.
"I am an artist. What sort of expressions people look for I cannot tell. I studied the original model, made a small replica of it initially and a bigger one later. I have made the sculpture only after a detailed study and by following the routine methodology. I had no purpose to show any expressions. I did what is authentic," Deore said.
People should see the emblem atop the new Parliament from the same angle as the original sculpture of Sarnath is viewed, he said.
The opposition parties have accused the Centre of replacing the "graceful and regally confident" Ashokan lions with those having menacing and aggressive posture, while the ruling BJP asserted that the lions atop the new parliament building are a "scaled up" version of the original emblem.
India's democracy has been deeply influenced by Buddhist ideals and symbols, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Wednesday and referred to the national emblem taken from the Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath with the 'Dharmachakra' engraved on it.
The mention of the national emblem by the president at a Buddhist event came amid a controversy over its newly-unveiled cast atop the new Parliament building with the opposition accusing the government of insulting the symbol by giving it a "ferocious" look.
The BJP has dismissed the criticism.
Addressing the Dhammacakka Day 2022 celebrations at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh through a video message, Kovind said that Buddhism has been one of the greatest spiritual traditions of India.
"Many holy sites associated with the life and teachings of Lord Buddha are located in India. Among those many places, there are four main places, first Bodh Gaya, where he attained enlightenment; second Sarnath, where he gave his first sermon; third Shravasti where he spent most Chaturmases and gave most of the sermons; and the fourth Kushinagar, where he attained the Mahaparinirvana," Kovind said.
He said that after the Mahaparinirvana of Lord Buddha, many monasteries, places of pilgrimage, universities associated with his teachings were established that have been centers of knowledge.
"Today all these places are part of the Buddha circuit which attracts pilgrims and religious tourists from across India and abroad," Kovind said.
The president said that "our democracy has been deeply influenced by Buddhist ideals and symbols", according to a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
"The national emblem is taken from the Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath, which also has the Dharmachakra engraved on it. Behind the chair of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the sutra 'Dharma Chakra Pravartanaya' is inscribed," he said.
Kovind said, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar had said that many processes of ancient Buddhist associations have been adopted in the country's parliamentary democracy.
The president said that according to Lord Buddha there is no greater joy than peace.
In the teachings of Lord Buddha, emphasis has been given to inner peace, he said, adding that the purpose of remembering these teachings on this occasion is that all people should inculcate the right meaning of the teachings and remove all the evils and inequalities to make a world full of peace and compassion.
The Ministry of Culture in association with the International Buddhist Confederation is celebrating the Ashadha Purnima Divas, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, it added.