'Ferocious & Aggressive Lions' : Two Lawyers Move Supreme Court Against National Emblem Installed Atop New Parliament Building

The petition contends that the lions in the concerned emblem appear to be ferocious and aggressive with their mouth open and canine visible, while the ones of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka, which it ought to resemble, are "calm and composed". It further avers that the four lions being representative of the four core spiritual philosophies of Budhha, is not merely a design, but has cultural and philosophical significance.

Acknowledging the statute is silent on the issue of improper use of State emblem by the Government itself, the petition relies on the Constitutional framework. The core challenge of the petition is that the change in the design of the State emblem violates its sanctity; is manifestly arbitrary; and would not pass muster of Article 14 of the Constitution of India. It also argues that the act of the Union Government to impinge upon the emblem without following due process is in derogation of Article 21, which envisaged the right to 'one's national pride and constitutional faith'.

It submits -

"The State emblem of India is a mark of identity of the Republic of India. The republic of India belongs to the people of India, we the Indians. When this identity is unduly interfered with by the government, it hurts the national sentiment of its citizens."

On 26.01.1950, the State Emblem was adopted as a symbol and seal of the newly formed Republic of India. The statute came into existence in 2005. It describes the State Emblem of Indian as an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka which is preserved in the Sarnath Museum.