NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday praised government’s move unveil Chakravarti Rajagopalachari’s bust at Rashtrapati Bhavan.In a social media post on X, Thiruvananthapuram MP said that he was a “strong supporter” of his Swatantra Party in his student days.“I’m truly pleased to see Rajaji honoured by a statue at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was its first Indian occupant as the only Indian Governor-General of India, before we became a Republic and he yielded his seat to the new President,” Tahroor wrote.“I have long admired his convictions and was a strong supporter of his Swatantra Party in my student days. His set of values and principles — liberal economics and support for free enterprise, combined with social justice; strong anchoring in Indian civilization and religious faith but without a shred of communal bigotry; and a staunch faith in the rights& freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, including keeping the government out of our kitchens, bedrooms and libraries — remain mine to this day. It is sad that there are so few left to follow him today,” he added.Earlier on Monday, Centre replaced British architect Edwin Lutyens’ statue at the Rashtrapati Bhavan with a bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari — the first and only Indian governor general of independent IndiaAt the event, a musical rendition of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram was performed.Among those present at the ceremony were vice president CP Radhakrishnan; union health and family welfare minister JP Nadda; external affairs minister S Jaishankar; education minister Dharmendra Pradhan; culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat; minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan; and members of Rajagopalachari’s family.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message read out by Shekhawat, said the replacement of the bust was an act of “mental decolonisation.”PM Modi in a post on X hailed the move as one to “honour” the figures who shaped country destiny and do away with the “colonial mindset”.“A commendable effort, which reflects India’s resolve to honour those who shaped our destiny and to shed remnants of a colonial mindset. Rajaji was a towering scholar, freedom fighter, thinker and administrator. His life embodied integrity, intellect and unwavering commitment to the nation.”
