Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP made an attempt to douse the fire on the Taj Mahal controversy triggered by BJP MLA Sangeet Som's comments that the monument was "a blot on Indian culture," leaving the party red-faced.
Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP made an attempt to douse the fire on the Taj Mahal controversy triggered by BJP MLA Sangeet Som's comments that the monument was "a blot on Indian culture," leaving the party red-faced.
Underlining the significance of history and heritage in a nation's development, the Prime Minister said no country can develop by ignoring its past. "No country could develop, however hard it might try, without embracing and taking pride in its history, heritage, culture and traditions. Countries that chose to forget heritage over development are sure to lose their identity," he said, while speaking at the inauguration of the nation's first All India Institute of Ayurveda, planned on the lines of AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Science) in Delhi's Sarita Vihar.
BJP MLA Sangeet Som had, on Monday, questioned the Taj Mahal's place in India's heritage and said history would be rewritten to erase Mughal emperors from it.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had earlier said that the Taj Mahal did not reflect Indian culture, made a U-turn a day after Som said the monument was "built by traitors". He said that the Taj was a historical monument, regardless of the emperor who had built it.
"It is immaterial as to who and how the Taj Mahal was built…," Adityanath said in Gorakhpur, "It was made by the sweat and blood of Bharat Mata's sons. It is famous the world over for its architecture... it is a historical monument and its protection and further development for tourism is the responsibility of the government."
In a fire-fighting measure, he also announced that he would visit Agra on October 26 to review tourism schemes of the state government.
"Our government is working to develop tourism around Kalinjer Fort (in Banda) and Rani Laxmibai's Fort in Jhansi as well as the Chunar Fort (in Mirzapur)," he added.
Som's comments on the Taj Mahal had come after the Adityanath government omitted the 17th century monument from an official booklet on tourist destinations within the state.
Meanwhile, after AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi questioned, on Monday, whether the Prime Minister would stop hoisting the flag from the Red Fort as it was "built by the same group of traitors", Samajwadi Party general secretary Azam Khan was quick to quip that monuments such as the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, Qutub Minar and Red Fort should be demolished as they too were "symbols of slavery", just like the Taj Mahal.
BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao, on Monday, tried to defend Som. He had described Muslim rule in India as "barbaric and a period of incomparable intolerance" and asserted that BJP members could hold any opinion they wanted on specific monuments.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Narendra Modi")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}