Taj Mahal built by blood, sweat of Indians: Yogi

Gorakhpur/Lucknow: The Taj Mahal was "built by the blood and sweat of Indians", Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday, responding to a row over a leader of his party BJP describing the world-renowned monument as a "blot on Indian culture" and a "symbol of slavery... built by traitors".

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, who is set to visit the Taj Mahal next week, said, "It does not matter who built it and for what reason; it was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers. I don't want to go into the depth of who built the Taj and why they made it."

The Chief Minister's Office said he would visit Agra on October 26, survey the Taj and the Agra Fort, and review various schemes.

Announcing that he would visit Agra on October 26 and there was a Rs 370 crore work plan for the city, Adityanath said it was the duty of the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure that proper security and facilities were extended to tourists.

"Our government is working for tourism development for the Kalinjer Fort (in Banda) and working for the Rani Laxmibai's Fort in Jhansi as well as the Chunar Fort (in Mirzapur) and has prepared schemes for their development," he said.

In Lucknow, Principal Secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi told media persons that the chief minister would also visit the Agra Fort and review other schemes as well for the city.

Som's comments on the Taj Mahal had come after the Adityanath government reportedly omitted the 17th-century monument from an official booklet on tourist destinations.

"Many people are pained to see that the Taj Mahal was removed from the list of places (tourist destinations). What type of history?" he had asked during a public meeting in Meerut on Monday.

His comments prompted an angry response from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi who asked if the government would tell tourists not to visit the monument.

Following the reports about the Taj Mahal being left out of the booklet, the state government had issued a press release stating, "Tourism projects worth Rs 370 crore are proposed, under which schemes worth Rs 156 crore for development of parks and various facilities are meant for the Taj Mahal and its surrounding areas in Agra."