Pointing out that the ‘swastika’ bas relief near the staircase to the speaker’s podium in the Le Corbusier-designed Punjab assembly hurt his religious sentiments, a Congress MLA on the last day of the monsoon session on Wednesday demanded that it be shifted to an appropriate place.

The speaker, however, clarified that no changes could be made as it was a heritage building.

Raising the issue during the zero hour, Sujanpur MLA Naresh Puri said, “Ever since I have been elected to the assembly, I have been noticing this sign. I am a sanatani by birth and swastik is a sacred sign for us. It is good that the symbol has been used in the assembly but when one climbs the stairs, it comes below the feet. It is like an insult to the religion.”
Later, speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan clarified, “The issue has been taken up with the Chandigarh Administration in the past. But the request to change the location of the swastika sign was turned down on the plea that the building had heritage status. Otherwise, we respect all religions.”

A member of Chandigarh’s sub-committee on heritage said the matter needed to be examined.

“The original concept of the symbol and whether it has been there from the start needs to be studied. For this, the original drawings and sketches of the building could be examined,” said the member.

“As per my information, the issue has not come up before the panel. At the same time, the swastika symbol has a long history and is associated with different communities in different parts of the world and this aspect too could be looked into,” the member added.