“Unveiling of Rajaji’s bust marks an important step in shedding remnants of colonial influence,” Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan said on Sunday as President Droupadi Murmu replaced the bust of Edwin Lutyens with that of C. Rajagopalachari at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The ceremony marked the formal unveiling of the bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, independent India’s first and only Indian Governor-General, at the Grand Open Staircase near Ashok Mandap. The installation replaces the bust of Lutyens, the British architect who designed the erstwhile Viceroy’s House during colonial rule.
In a statement, the President’s Secretariat described the initiative as part of a broader effort to shed “vestiges of colonial mindset” and embrace “the richness of India’s culture, heritage, timeless traditions and honouring those who served Bharat Mata with their extraordinary contributions.”
The event also signalled the commencement of Rajaji Utsav, commemorating the freedom fighter and statesman.
Officials highlighted that the move follows earlier steps taken within the presidential estate. Portraits of British-era ADCs were replaced with those of Param Vir Chakra awardees in a key gallery. Colonial-era texts in the building’s archives were substituted with literature in eleven Indian classical languages.
Also read: Lutyen's statue to be replaced in Rashtrapati Bhawan :PM
Addressing the gathering, the Vice-President said India’s transition away from colonial influence was “not a single event, but an ongoing transformation.” Referring to the vision of “Gulami ki Mansikta se Mukti”, he said the changes were “not merely symbolic” but reflective of the government’s spirit of Sewa Bhavna.
His remarks came days after several Union ministries vacated the colonial-era North and South Block offices and shifted to the new Sewa Teerth and Kartavya Bhavan complexes.
Rajagopalachari, born on December 10, 1878, in Thorapalli village in present-day Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district, served as the last Governor-General of India from 1948 to 1950, becoming the only Indian to hold the post before it was abolished upon India becoming a Republic.
Among those present were Union ministers Jagat Prakash Nadda, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Dharmendra Pradhan, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and L. Murugan, besides members of Rajaji’s family.
The Rajaji Utsav begins on the eve of Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
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