The ceremony also marked the beginning of “Rajaji Utsav", commemorating the freedom fighter.

President Murmu Unveils Rajagopalachari Bust at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Replacing Edwin Lutyens Statue

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday unveiled a bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Installed at the Grand Open Staircase near the Ashok Mandap, the statue replaces the bust of Edwin Lutyens, the British architect who designed the presidential estate when it served as the Viceroy’s residence during colonial rule.

In an official statement, Rashtrapati Bhavan described the move as part of continued efforts to shed the remnants of a colonial mindset and to celebrate India’s cultural heritage, traditions and leaders who made exceptional contributions to the nation.

The statement noted that earlier steps included replacing portraits of British-era ADCs with those of Param Vir Chakra awardees in a key gallery and substituting British-era texts in the building’s archives with literature in eleven classical Indian languages.

The ceremony also marked the beginning of “Rajaji Utsav", commemorating the freedom fighter.

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan said the unveiling signified an important move away from colonial influence. He called the celebration a fitting tribute to C. Rajagopalachari and said the shift reflects an ongoing transformation under the vision of “Gulami ki Mansikta se Mukti".

Rajagopalachari was born on December 10, 1878, in Thorapalli village in present-day Tamil Nadu.

Several Union ministers and Rajaji’s family members attended the event, which comes ahead of the Tamil Nadu elections.

Source: The Tribune