Matt Ridley 'sad' over removal of great-grandfather Edwin Lutyens' bust from Rashtrapati Bhavan

Ridley in front of Lutyens' bust last year (L); President Murmy paying floral tribute to the bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari on Feb 23.

• Bust of architect Lutyens removed from Rashtrapati Bhavan
• Rajagopalachari's bust now replaces Lutyens' at the site
• Move aims to honor Indian leaders and shed colonial symbols

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British author and peer Matt Ridley has expressed disappointment over the removal of a bust of his great-grandfather, renowned architect Edwin Lutyens, from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

In a series of posts on microblogging site X, Ridley, on Monday, said he was "sad" to learn that the bust had been taken down from the presidential residence in New Delhi, which Lutyens designed during the British era.

"Sad to read that the bust of Lutyens (my great-grandfather) is to be removed from the presidential palace he designed in Delhi. Here I am with it last year. I wondered at the time why his name had been removed from the plinth," Ridley wrote, sharing a photograph of himself with the sculpture.

Sad to read that the bust of Lutyens (my great grandfather) is to be removed from the presidential palace he designed in Delhi. Here I am with it last year. I wondered at the time why his name had been removed from the plinth. pic.twitter.com/EITcGKUAMa

— Matt Ridley (@mattwridley) February 23, 2026

Later, responding to suggestions that he could offer to house the bust in the UK, Ridley added, "For those suggesting I offer a home for Lutyens's bust from Delhi, I already have a copy of it. It looks down on my desk as I write this. It was sculpted by Sir William Reid-Dick".

He also remarked, "I understand India’s wish to remove colonial statues but he was an architect, not a viceroy".

In another post, Ridley questioned the broader debate around historical legacy, writing, "Also, wasn’t the Taj Mahal built by a regime of colonial invaders too?"

Ridley’s comments came hours after President Droupadi Murmu unveiled a bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, widely known as Rajaji, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The new bust, installed at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap, replaces the sculpture of Lutyens. Rajagopalachari was independent India’s first and only Indian Governor-General, and a senior leader of the freedom movement.

In a statement shared on the President’s official X handle, the move was described as part of efforts to shed "the vestiges of the colonial mindset" and to honour figures who contributed to India’s national life and independence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message read out during the ceremony and in his recent Mann Ki Baat address, said the installation of Rajagopalachari’s bust symbolised India’s commitment to moving beyond colonial-era symbols and embracing its civilisational heritage.

Lutyens was the principal architect of New Delhi and designed several landmark buildings in the capital, including the Viceroy’s House, now Rashtrapati Bhavan, and, along with Herbert Baker, key government structures in the imperial capital. The area known as "Lutyens’ Delhi" bears his name in recognition of his architectural imprint.

Originally built as the residence of the British Viceroy, the building was renamed Government House after Independence and later Rashtrapati Bhavan when India became a republic.

Rajagopalachari, born in 1878 in the Madras Presidency, was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, participated in major movements against British rule, served in the Constituent Assembly, and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1954.