"Ashoka's Empire": India downplays issue of mural in new Parliament building
New Delhi, Jun 2: India on Friday downplayed the issue of a mural in the new Parliament building that has triggered some concerns in Nepal and Pakistan.
At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi described the mural as an artwork that depicted the spread of the prehistoric Ashokan empire.
"The mural in question depicts the spread of the Ashokan empire and the idea of responsible and people-oriented governance that he (Ashoka) adopted and propagated," Bagchi said, replying to a question on the issue.
"That's what the plaque in front of the mural says. I really don't have anything further to add to that. I am certainly not going to comment on statements that other political leaders might have made," he said.
The mural triggered a controversy in Nepal as it is being interpreted as a map of 'Akhand Bharat' comprising parts of several neighbouring countries.
The mural in the new Parliament building marks important kingdoms and cities of the past, and shows the influence of ancient India in the then Taxila, in present-day Pakistan.
Several political leaders in Nepal reacted strongly to the mural and some of them even asked Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' to raise the issue with New Delhi.
The Nepalese prime minister is currently on a visit to India.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Thursday that the mural issue was not raised by the Nepalese prime minister during his talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Bagchi said he was not aware whether protests were going on in Nepal over the matter.
Nepal's former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai on Tuesday said that the 'Akhand Bharat' mural in the new Parliament building depicting the influence of ancient Indian thought in its immediate neighbourhood may cause unnecessary diplomatic disputes.
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Mercury likely to touch 44 deg C in Delhi; IMD issues alert for heatwave-like conditions
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 26.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 2.4 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The weather department has forecast partly cloudy sky with an orange alert for heatwave-like conditions at isolated places by the evening.
The maximum temperature is expected to reach around 44 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the IMD said.
The relative humidity in the capital was recorded at 43 per cent at 8.30 am.
The air quality was 'poor' at 9 am, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 223, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
