New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered demolition of parking lot around Mughal mausoleum, Taj Mahal.
The apex court noted that the parking lot could be an environmental hazard, a lawyer appearing for Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said.
In August, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to demolish illegal restaurant constructed by a private party near the iconic monument. The NGT had even urged the state government to encourage plantation around the iconic monument.
Recently, Taj Mahal made headlines after it was dropped from the state government’s tourism booklet, following which Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sangeet Som supported it by calling it a blot on Indian culture.
Senior Haryana Minister Anil Vij had also termed the monument as a “beautiful cemetery”. He had tweeted that “Taj Mahal ek khoobsurat kabristan hai.”
#ताजमहल एक खूबसूरत कब्रिस्तान है ।
— ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA (@anilvijminister) October 20, 2017
Taj Mahal, the iconic monument was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz in 1631 and the monument is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With agencies inputs