NEW DELHI: The rightwing Hindu government in Uttar Pradesh has removed the Taj Mahal from its official list of tourist destinations for which the state is famous, reports said on Monday.

The move follows comments by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who said the 17th century marvel in Agra does not represent Indian ethos.

A new booklet released by the state government to mark six months of the Bharatiya Janata Party winning charge of India’s most-populous state has deleted any mention of the white marble stunner, reports said.

NDTV said the brochure was released by Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna who previously headed the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. It catalogues important tourist destinations, including the temple in Gorakhpur of which Mr Adityanath is the main priest.

“There has been some miscommunication which has undermined the Taj Mahal,” said UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh. To illustrate that the state government recognises its value, he said, “We are even thinking of constructing an international airport at Agra for the convenience of passengers.”

In June this year, Yogi Adityanath unpacked a major headline and buffed up his perception as a hardline Hindu priest when he said that the monument to love built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan does not reflect Indian culture. He claimed this is why foreign VIPs are gifted copies of the Gita and the Ramayana now by government officials instead of replicas of the Taj.

NDTV quoted opposition leaders as saying the new brochure proves the UP government discriminates against Muslims and attempts to blank out any part of India’s cultural heritage that is not Hindu.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2017

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.