If you’ve scrolled through social media today, chances are you’ve stumbled across mentions of a “Sengol”, a sceptre that will be placed in the new Parliament building to be inaugurated on May 28. 

The Sengol has deep ties to Tamil Nadu. Home minister Amit Shah waxed eloquent about the Sengol during a press meet.

But another moment from the press meet took off on social media, when a journalist named Venkataraman from Tamil newspaper Dinamalar asked Shah a question.

Saying Shah gave “elaborate details about the Sengol”, the journalist said, “It’s not only from Chola kingdom, it’s the rulers of Tamil Nadu. Pandyas, Chera, Cholas...everybody was using the Sengol...”

He continued: “This also indicates how a king has to rule the country, which indicates to the people of the entire southern India. Now, the southern India people have shut the door for the BJP...”

Shah cut him off, speaking in Hindi: “Your question is done.”

The journalist pressed on, though, saying in Hindi: “You don’t have a reaction, sir?”

Shah replied, “Didn’t I already say politics doesn’t have to be discussed today?”

The interaction went viral on social media.

The Congress had blazed to victory in the recent Karnataka assembly election, bagging 135 seats as against the BJP’s 66. Newslaundry had reported at length on the election from the ground. Check out all our coverage here.