Agra: A heritage which even the world considers a wonder on face of the Earth. A monument which has been representing India since ages. A history which can’t be forgotten and off-course a source of government’s income through the tourist industry. However, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath denies all these facts and says that Taj Mahal can’t be considered India’s icon in his recent statement.
The statement of UP Cheif Minister has made many outrageous, as he now seeks to deny the Taj Mahal its place on the global map. Talking to India Today, Sami Aghai, Chairman Bhartiya Muslim Vikas Parishad said, “Yogi should be more concerned about the breakdown of law and order in the state instead of meddling with affairs that are beyond his ambit.” He also said that Yogi Adityanath is a novice in politics and he had no right to divide India and its icons into Hindu and Muslim, which is what he intends to do by denying Taj Mahal’s importance for India.
Aghai said that Yogi Adityanath has made his anti-Muslim sentiments obvious by opposing Taj Mahal’s importance only on the grounds that the Taj Mahal was constructed by a Mughal emperor. He said that Taj Mahal is a part of India’s heritage and so are the Mughals. People like Yogi Adityanath could not just wipe away this heritage with their words, he added.
On the other hand Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber Secretary Vishal Sharma came in CM’s support and said, “The way this statement of UP Chief Minister has been presented, clearly signifies that when he says that Taj Mahal cannot be the icon of India, the Chief Minister is thinking past the Mughal era and into the ancient Vedic history of India. In a sense, Yogi Adityanath is correct in presuming that India is not just the Taj Mahal and there is a lot more to this country’s heritage and culture than the Mughal monuments. However, that does not mean that the Taj Mahal can be denied its place on the global tourism map.”
Sharma further said, “Every VIP coming to India from abroad makes it a point to visit the Taj Mahal. Former US President had even divided the world into two kinds of people – those who have seen the Taj Mahal and those who haven’t. This is only a sample of the global popularity of the Taj Mahal, which extends beyond cultural barriers.” He also added that when a tourist views the Taj Mahal, he views it as an example of the vast Indian cultural heritage and not merely as a tomb constructed by a Muslim emperor.
Social activist Ziauddin said, “UP Chief Minister Adityanath should be proud that he is the Chief Minister of the state where the Taj Mahal is located. Instead, the CM seems to be weighing this monument in Hindu-Muslim terms, which is quite surprising considering that he holds a constitutional position as the state’s head of government and his views reflect the will and intent of his government. By refusing to recognise the Taj Mahal’s importance, Yogi Adityanath has merely proved once again that the BJP has a communal agenda that always runs in the back channels, even if it shows a secular face in front.”