Howrah (WB), July 12 (PTI) Union Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday took a dig at the TMC's criticism of the national emblem atop the new Parliament building and said it is not unexpected from a party which insults Goddess Kali.

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It is expected of opposition leaders who have "scant regard" for the Constitution to oppose the national emblem, said Irani, the union minister for women and child development addressing a press conference at Howrah.

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"Those leaders who have either disregarded or discarded the Constitution over the years are expected to oppose the national emblem. Today they are afraid of the national emblem, which is the pride of our country. It is not unexpected from the party and its leaders who insult Goddess Kali to insult the national emblem," she said at the press conference.

Her comments followed those by TMC MP Jawhar Sircar, who accused the BJP government at the Centre of insulting the national emblem by installing an "aggressive version of the Ashokan Lions" as a national emblem atop the new Parliament building.

"Insult to our national symbol, the majestic Ashokan Lions. Original is on the left, graceful, regally confident. The one on the right is Modi's version, put above the new Parliament building — snarling, unnecessarily aggressive and disproportionate. Shame! Change it immediately!" Sircar had tweeted.

His party colleague and parliamentarian, MP Mahua Moitra, who has been facing opposition flak over her controversial remarks on Goddess Kali, tweeted two images of the national emblem comparing the past structure with that installed atop the new Parliament building.

Moitra had said at a conclave on July 5 that Kali, for her, was a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess. She was responding to a question in connection with the outrage over a film poster which showed a woman dressed as the deity smoking a cigarette and holding a pride flag. Police complaints have been made against Moitra for the remarks in various states.

Irani slammed Sircar for questioning her appointment as the minority affairs minister and said as a cabinet minister she is serving the country and all the communities in it.

"We had many heads of state who belonged to different religions. It is our constitutional responsibility to ensure we serve all and appease none. As minister of minority affairs, I serve India and all the communities. Especially those communities that the Constitution has deemed fit for my office to serve," she said.

Irani has been given the minority affairs portfolio after Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi resigned as his term in Rajya Sabha ended earlier this month.

On July 6, Sircar, who is a Rajya Sabha MP of the TMC, attacked the BJP-led Centre in a tweet saying, "Hardcore Hindu, married to a Parsi given charge of Muslims, Christians. Is this BJP's brand of secularism?"

On NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu, Irani said if TMC does not support her it will prove that the party is against tribals and the poor.

"If Mamata Di (Mamata Banerjee) cannot support Droupadi Murmu, then she should herself judge whether she is against the poor and tribals or not," Irani said when asked to comment on Banerjee's recent remarks that opposition parties might have considered backing Murmu had BJP held discussions with them before fielding her.

Major non-BJP parties of the country like the Congress and TMC have named Yashwant Sinha, a former union minister, as the joint nominee for the presidential election.

Earlier in the day, Irani participated in a rally in Howrah district as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)