Last Updated:February 24, 2026, 14:54 IST
Centre replaced statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhavan with the bust of Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. (PTI file photo)
Differing from other INDIA Bloc MPs, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday praised the government’s move to unveil a bust of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
In a post on X, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said he was a “strong supporter” of Rajagopalachari’s Swatantra Party during 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,” Tharoor wrote.
He added that he had long admired Rajagopalachari’s convictions and values, including liberal economics and support for free enterprise combined with social justice, a strong anchoring in Indian civilisation and religious faith without communal bigotry, and a firm belief in constitutional rights and freedoms. He said these principles remain his own and expressed sadness that few follow them today.
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.I have long admired his convictions and was a… https://t.co/exNBJ0IFIN
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 23, 2026
Centre replaces Lutyens’ statue with Rajagopalachari’s
On Monday, the Centre replaced the statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhavan with the bust of Rajagopalachari, the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India.
At the ceremony, a musical rendition of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram was performed.
Among those present were Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Union Health 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.
PM calls it ‘mental decolonisation’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a message read out by Shekhawat, described the replacement as an act of “mental decolonisation.”
In a separate post on X, he said the move reflects India’s resolve to honour those who shaped the nation’s destiny and to shed remnants of a colonial mindset. He described Rajagopalachari as a towering scholar, freedom fighter, thinker and administrator whose life embodied integrity, intellect and commitment to the nation.
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Location :
Delhi, India, India
First Published:
February 24, 2026, 14:54 IST
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