The Taj Mahal was made of the blood and sweat of “Bharat Mata’s sons” and its protection was the responsibility of the Uttar Pradesh government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday.

Announcing his visit to Agra next week to review tourism schemes, the Chief Minister said the Taj was a historical monument regardless of the emperor who built it.

Adityanath’s comments come a day after BJP MLA Sangeet Som, questioned the Taj Mahal’s place in India’s heritage and said history would be rewritten to erase Mughal emperors from it. “It is immaterial as to who and how the Taj Mahal was built... It was made by the sweat and blood of Bharat Mata’s sons,” Yogi said in Gorakhpur. “It is famous the world over for its architecture... it is a historical monument and its protection and further development for tourism is the responsibility of the government,” he added.

The CM said he would visit Agra on October 26 and that there was a ₹370-crore work plan for the city.

“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.

War of words

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 at a public meeting in Meerut on Monday.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao described Muslim rule in India as “barbaric and a period of incomparable intolerance” while asserting that its members could hold any opinion they want on specific monuments.

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