Mural of subcontinent in Parliament depicts Ashokan empire: Arindam Bagchi

New Delhi, June 2

Advertisement

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sought to allay the apprehensions expressed by Pakistan and Nepal over the mural of the Indian sub-continental landmass in the newly inaugurated Parliament building. There have been misgivings in neighbouring countries after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said it was a map of “Akhand Bharat”.

“The mural in question depicts the spread of the Ashokan empire and the idea of a responsible and people-oriented government he adopted and propagated. That’s what the plaque in front of the mural says,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi while opting not to comment on statements by political leaders. The MEA also said the issue was not raised by Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, nor was the ministry aware of official protests launched by any of the nations whose territories are subsumed in the map.

Though Nepal has not stated anything officially, some of its former PMs, now in the Opposition, have spoken on the issue. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was “appalled by the statements made by some BJP politicians, including a Union Minister” linking the mural with ‘Akhand Bharat’. “The claim of ‘Akhand Bharat’ shows the expansionist mindset of the people of India, which wants to suppress not only its neighbouring countries but also the ideology and culture of religious minorities,” she said. On May 28, Joshi had tweeted a photo of the ‘Akhand Bharat’ mural art installed in the Art Gallery of the new Parliament and wrote, “The resolve is clear Akhand Bharat.” In Nepal, the issue has led to street-level protests from the Opposition, which feels that the mural shows Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, suggesting India’s claims over the region. “It has the potential of further aggravating the trust deficit already vitiating the bilateral relations between most of the immediate neighbours of India,” said former Nepal PM Baburam Bhattarai.