BJP MP: Taj Mahal a blot on Indian culture

A lawmaker of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called the Taj Mahal a “blot” on the culture of India. Calling Mughal emperors Babur, Akbar “traitors”, BJP lawmaker Sangeet Som said their names would be removed from pages of history, reports the NDTV. Earlier this month, Taj Mahal was excluded from an Uttar Pradesh tourism booklet, leading to an ugly political row. "Many people were worried that the Taj Mahal was removed from the list of historical places in the UP tourism booklet. What history are we talking about? The man who built Taj Mahal imprisoned his father. He wanted to massacre Hindus. If this is history, then it is very unfortunate and we will change this history, I guarantee you" Som said at a rally in Meerut on Sunday. The controversial lawmaker also said the monument was built by "traitors" and is a "blot on Indian culture". Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that the Taj Mahal does not reflect Indian culture. Disowning the comments, Som’s party senior Nalin Kohli said: "That is his individual view. Taj Mahal is an important part of our history. It's part of incredible India. What happened in history cannot be erased but at least it can be well-written history."

No more Red Fort speeches on 15th August? “The PM will address the nation from Nehru Stadium” will fill some hearts with unabashed glee. https://t.co/TOx6vIO1nx

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 16, 2017

However, hours later, Som issued a clarification saying: "I don't oppose Taj Mahal. It's a beautiful heritage. I oppose the Mughals who built it and how they've been portrayed in history," he said. Som is among the politicians who have been charged with instigating riots that left over 60 dead and tens of thousands displaced in Muzaffarnagar in 2013. On the other hand, some people in the party are supporting Som. "The Taj is a tourist spot...don't link it with Indian culture," said BJP parliamentarian Anshul Verma. The Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, attracts millions of tourists from across the world every year but the 17th century marble mausoleum was missing from a booklet released recently to mark six months of the BJP government. The temple of Gorakhnath at Gorakhpur, which is headed by Yogi Adityanath, found a place among top attractions of UP. Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, said: "Will (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) stop hoisting national flag from a monument built by traitors (Red Fort)? I challenge them to say it to Unesco that they should remove it from list of world heritage sites." Jammu and Kashmir politician Omar Abdullah tweeted: "No more Red Fort speeches on 15th August? 'The PM will address the nation from Nehru Stadium' will fill some hearts with unabashed glee."