National emblem: Govt made the lions 'angry', 'full of angst', says Oppn

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled the national emblem cast atop the new Parliament building, marking the first major milestone ahead of the building's scheduled opening for later this year. But, the statue did not turn out to be as pleasing as the original to the Opposition.

Opposition members and activists accused the government of distorting the national emblem by replacing the "graceful and regally confident" Ashokan lions with those having menacing and aggressive posture.

The lion emblem, which is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka, dating back to 250 BC, has four lions