In what can be termed as a damage control, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to visit Taj Mahal after BJP leader Sangeet Som's hate speech against the iconic structure sparked a massive controversy.
In what can be termed as a damage control, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to visit Taj Mahal after BJP leader Sangeet Som's hate speech against the iconic structure sparked a massive controversy.
CM Yogi is scheduled to visit the historic structure in Agra on October 25. He rebutted Som's remarks and said, “It does not matter who built it (Taj Mahal) and for what reason; it was built by blood and sweat of Indian labourers.”
Talking about the importance of Taj Mahal, CM Yogi said, “It is very important for us, especially from tourism perspective it is our priority to provide facilities and safety to tourists there.”
The development comes a day after the BJP MLA from Sardhana sparked outrage when he said, Som said, "Many people were pained to see that the Taj Mahal was removed from the list of places (tourist destinations). What type of history? "Is this history that the person who built the Taj Mahal imprisoned his father? Do you call it history when the one who built the Taj targeted many Hindus in Uttar Pradesh and Hindustan?"
Addressing a gathering at Sisoli village after inaugurating a statue of 8th century king Anangpal Singh Tomar, Som said invaders of India have been glorified in history. Referring to 'kalank katha', or the black mark of history, he said, " Whether it is Babar, Akbar or Aurangzeb, the government is working to erase them from history." The lives and achievements of the "real great men" of the country like Maharana Pratap and Shivaji would be taught in schools and colleges, Som had said.
However, the state government had disowned Som's comments yesterday itself.
State Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi had said that “we are proud of Taj Mahal. It's our cultural heritage. There should not be any confusion on it.”
She distanced herself from Sangeet Som's speech and said that “it's a personal statement. Anybody can have any point of view. But as afar as government is concerned, me and my Chief Minister has put it on record that we are extremely proud of the fact that Taj Mahal is housed in Uttar Pradesh.”
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