By removing the bust of British architect Edwin Lutyens and placing that of C. Rajagopalachari at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the government has sent a strong message about rewriting colonial-era memory. The move is being projected as part of a broader effort to shed symbols of imperial rule and foreground Indian figures in spaces once designed to project British authority.
President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the bust, underlining the official narrative that decolonisation is not just about policy but also about symbols and spaces. The decision has also drawn political attention, especially with Tamil Nadu heading toward assembly elections, a state where the BJP has been attempting to expand its footprint.
Who was Edwin Lutyens?
Edwin Lutyens was born in London in 1869 and became one of Britain’s most well-known architects. In 1912, after the British decided to shift India’s capital from Kolkata to Delhi, he was chosen to design key buildings in the new capital. These included Rashtrapati Bhavan (then the Viceroy’s House), India Gate and the North and South Blocks. He worked on Rashtrapati Bhavan along with architect Herbert Baker.
Lutyens also designed the Cenotaph in London and was knighted in 1918 for his work. He studied at the Royal College of Art in London but left early to start his own practice. Early in his career, he designed English country houses and often worked with famous garden designer Gertrude Jekyll.
Over time, the phrase “Lutyens’ Delhi” came to describe central Delhi’s power district – wide boulevards, government bungalows and elite political circles. The term gradually evolved into shorthand for political privilege and entrenched power.
Controversy and symbolism behind Lutyens Bust
Rashtrapati Bhavan, completed in 1929 and inaugurated in 1931 as the Viceroy’s House, was built to symbolise British imperial dominance. For decades, the presence of Lutyens’ bust inside the complex reflected that architectural legacy. By removing it and replacing it with Rajaji’s, the government has made a deliberate symbolic shift – from the designer of imperial authority to an Indian who once occupied the building as Head of State.
Officials have described the decision as part of a wider push to eliminate colonial symbols from public life. Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan linked it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “Gulami ki Mansikta se Mukti,” or freedom from a colonial mindset.
The move also fits into a broader pattern. In 2023, when the new Parliament building was inaugurated, the Sengol – associated with the Chola tradition – was installed in the Lok Sabha chamber. The government has also organised the Kashi Tamil Sangamam to highlight cultural ties between Varanasi and Tamil Nadu. Other steps over the past decade have included installing a statue of Subhas Chandra Bose near India Gate, constructing the National War Memorial, and renaming the Central Secretariat as Kartavya Bhavan.
Political timing has added another layer to the discussion. With Tamil Nadu heading into assembly elections, many observers see the installation of Rajaji’s bust as an attempt to connect with Tamil identity while advancing a national decolonisation narrative.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor welcomed the move. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “I’m truly pleased to see Rajaji honoured by a statue at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He was the 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. I have long admired his convictions and was a strong supporter of his Swatantra Party in my student days”.
Who was Chakravarti Rajagopalachari?
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, widely known as Rajaji was India’s first and only Indian Governor-General. He served from 1948 to 1950, after taking over from Lord Mountbatten and remained in office until India became a republic.
Rajaji was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle. However, after Independence, he had sharp differences with Jawaharlal Nehru, especially on economic policies. Rajaji believed in free markets and limited government control. In 1959, he co-founded the Swatantra Party, arguing that too much state control would hurt individual freedom and enterprise, according to a report by The Week.
In Tamil Nadu, Rajaji’s legacy is seen in different ways. When he was the Premier of the Madras Presidency in 1937, he made Hindi compulsory in schools. This decision led to strong protests and gave a boost to the Dravidian movement led by Periyar E.V Ramasamy and later CN Annadurai. However, in later years, Rajaji himself opposed the imposition of Hindi and even helped build an opposition alliance that defeated the Congress in the 1967 Assembly elections, the report said.
Rajaji was not just a national leader but also an important Tamil figure, which is why he still holds political importance. His grandsons, Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Rajmohan Gandhi, continue to be active in public life. His great-grandson, C. R. Kesavan, is currently associated with the BJP.