"No violation of law": Supreme Court dismisses plea against National Emblem installed atop Central Vista

A petition filed against the State Emblem installed atop the Central Vista building claiming that its design was in violation of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition Against Improper Use) Act of 2005, was rejected by the Supreme Court on Friday..A bench of Justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari said that it has seen the emblem and it was not violative of the law."The impression the emblem gives depends on the mind of the person," the Court remarked.Having gone through the emblem of which grievance is made, it cannot be said that the same is in contravention of the Act, the Court said in its order..The petition filed by advocates Aldanish Rein and Ramesh Kumar Mishra contended that the lions portrayed in the emblem inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to be "ferocious and aggressive" with their "mouth open and canine visible," in contrast with the State Emblem preserved in the Sarnath Museum, in which the lions appear to be "calm and composed."The plea stated that the Central government, by altering its design, has "manifested gross arbitrariness in violating the sanctity of the state Emblem.""The state emblem of India is the mark of the Identity of the Republic of India. Republic of India belongs to We the Indians. When this identity is interfered with, it hurts the national sentiments of it's citizens," the plea said.The State Emblem, cast on the roof of the new Parliament building, was unveiled by the Prime Minister in July.Several opposition parties criticised the expression of the four lions depicted in the State Emblem, and alleged that the Modi government has violated the Constitution by defacing the Emblem.However, the Central government justified the design, saying it was made after research and a thorough procedure.The petitioners contended that the emblem was visibly different in the design of lions which depicts a changed composure of lions than that of the Lion's Capital of Ashoka preserved in the Sarnath museum"The Motto "Satyameva Jayate written in Devanagari script below the profile of the Lion Capital as envisaged in the Act to be mandatory also seems missing in the newly installed emblem," stated the plea.To completely change the character and nature of the lions on the emblem and by missing the motto "Satyameva Jayate" written in Devanagari script below the profile of the Lion Capital as envisaged in the Act, is not only changing the basic message the piece of art wants to convey but it is in-fact a brazen insult to India's National Symbol, the petitioner contended.The petition further stated that the right to life enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India has been held to mean a life with dignity. Hence, a dignified life would include the protection of one's national symbol against any arbitrary alteration in it, it was submitted.