Taj Mahal Not Included in UP Budget Heritage Plan; Yogi Adityanath Govt Faces Flak For Leaving Mughal Era Structure

Lucknow, July 14: Taj Mahal, one the seven wonders of the world, has not been included in the list of heritages that will be preserved by the Uttar Pradesh government. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government is facing flak for not including Taj Mahal in the list of cultural heritage. According to the Yogi Adityanath government’s first state budget presented on Tuesday, Taj Mahal – a Unesco World Heritage Site – isn’t part of Uttar Pradesh’s cultural heritage.

Taj Mahal, recognised as a Unesco World Heritage Site, found no place in the special section titled “Hamari Sanskritik Virasat” (Our Cultural Heritage). While a number of schemes were announced for Hindu pilgrimage towns of Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura and Chitrakoot in the budget, the structure, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, was left out of the budget. The move has invited criticism as CM Yogi Adityanath has often pointed out that the Taj Mahal did not reflect India’s ancient culture.

Invoking Hindu god Ram in Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal said,”Our government has formulated schemes for maintenance of places of cultural and historical importance to promote tourism.” The exclusion of Taj Mahal that earns the government crores in revenue has drew sharp criticism, promoting academics to call the budget a Hindutva one.