BJP hits back after opposition criticises Lutyens statue removal: 'Aurangzeb Zindabad mindset'

BJP hits back after opposition criticises Lutyens statue removal: 'Aurangzeb Zindabad mindset'

• Rajagopalachari's statue replaces Lutyens' at Rashtrapati Bhavan
• Move sparks political debate over colonial heritage and identity
• Opposition divided; BJP defends honoring Indian leaders

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The decision to remove British architect Edwin Lutyens’ statue from Rashtrapati Bhavan and install a statue of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari in its place has sparked a heated political exchange, with leaders offering sharply different views on the move.

President Droupadi Murmu unveiled Rajagopalachari’s statue at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre during the Rajaji Utsav on Monday. The sculpture has been positioned at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap, the same location where Lutyens’ statue previously stood. Lutyens was the principal architect of New Delhi and is closely associated with the area known as Lutyens’ Delhi.

Several Opposition leaders criticised the development, arguing that removing colonial-era figures does not erase history. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi accused the government of undermining India’s architectural heritage. “The future generation of India would only know of Bimal Hasmukh Patel architectural legacy because am certain whatever is left of Lutyens design history will be broken down, redesigned or repurposed under the narrative of ridding ourselves of our colonial history. Many countries preserve the heritage and legacy of their nation’s lived history for generations to remember – the good, the bad and the ugly included to learn from but in new India we are hell bent on replacing it with shiny new glass domes or convention centres- with no soul or cultural context."

PDP leader Iltija Mufti also questioned the rationale behind the decision. In a post on X, she wrote, “How does it help India to continue with this warped misplaced sense of anger towards its history? This constant obsession of wiping off the ‘colonial hangover’? Lutyens makes Delhi what it is. You cannot efface heritage or history by removing busts & plaques. Most of India’s architectural marvels are British & Mughal. Big deal!"

The BJP defended the change and criticised the Opposition’s reaction. Party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari responded to Mufti’s remarks, stating, “No wonder those who once glorified terrorist Burhan Wani are rattled today. The same “Aurangzeb Zindabad" mindset for vote bank politics cannot digest Bharat reclaiming its civilisational heritage and shedding the mentality of slavery."

Offering a contrasting stance within the Opposition, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor welcomed the recognition for Rajagopalachari. “I’m truly pleased to see Rajaji honoured by a statue at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was its first Indian occupant as the only Indian Governor-General of India, before we became a Republic and he yielded his seat to the new President. I have long admired his convictions and was a strong supporter of his Swatantra Party in my student days. His set of values and principles – liberal economics and support for free enterprise, combined with social justice; strong anchoring in Indian civilization and religious faith but without a shred of communal bigotry; and a staunch faith in the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, including keeping the government out of our kitchens, bedrooms and libraries – remain mine to this day. It is sad that there are so few left to follow him today," said Tharoor.