Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath yesterday said the Taj Mahal in Agra was a part of Indian heritage.
The chief minister was speaking a day after a legislator of his Bharatiya Janata Party sparked outrage with his comments on the famed monument.
Adityanath also told reporters that the 17th century marble monument, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, was constructed “by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers”.
An official said the chief minister will also visit the Taj.
“It does not matter who built it and for what reason. It was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers,” Adityanath said of the Taj, India’s biggest tourist draw.
“Taj Mahal is a part of India’s heritage,” he added. “Taj Mahal, Red Fort are all part of India’s heritage.”
The statement came after Uttar Pradesh BJP legislator Sangeet Som called the Taj Mahal a blot on Indian culture and said it was built by an emperor who wanted to finish off Hindus.
“We should not focus on Som’s statement,” the chief minister said, in the clearest sign that his government in Uttar Pradesh was distancing itself from the MLA’s controversial remarks.
Adityanath said the Taj was important for the Uttar Pradesh government, specially “from the tourism perspective” and “it is our priority to provide facilities and safety to tourists there”.
The chief minister is scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and other important monuments in Agra on October 26, an official said.
Taking a dig at Som, Samajawadi Party MLA Azam Khan said all “symbols of slavery” like Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi should be demolished.
“I won’t respond to him (Som). But I have always been saying that all symbols of slavery in India should be demolished. It is true that Mughals conquered India. But I won’t get into how they came and who brought them to India because it will create a bitter debate. Some people will mind my opinion about that because they don’t like the truth,” Khan told a TV channel.
“Why only the Taj Mahal? Why not the parliament? Why not the Rashtrapati Bhavan? Why not the Qutub Minar? Why not the Red Fort in Delhi? Why not the Agra Fort? These are the signs of traitors.”
Without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adityanath, Khan, known for his sharp comments aimed at his political rivals, said he had already made an appeal to the “Baadshah” and to the “younger Baadshah” that they should move forward in razing these monuments “built by traitors and we will follow them”.
“Let theirs be the first blow (to demolish these monuments) and mine will be the second,” he said.
Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the world, the Taj attracts millions of Indian and foreign tourists every year.
Last month, the Uttar Pradesh government had omitted references to the Taj in a booklet published to mark six months of the Adityanath government.
This drew sharp criticism, prompting Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi to say that that Taj Mahal was of great importance to the state government and to the nation.
Adityanath: damage control
