Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is of the opinion that the Taj Mahal and other minarets of the kind do not reflect Indian culture.
Adityanath was in Bihar for his first visit after becoming CM of the neighbouring state. According to a report in The Telegraph, Adityanath said that “Foreign dignitaries visiting the country used to be gifted replicas of the Taj Mahal and other minarets which did not reflect Indian culture.”
He reportedly added that in the Modi government, visitors and dignitaries were given copies of the Bhagwad Gita and the Ramayana in keeping with the idea.
Adityanath reportedly began the rally with chants of "Jai Shri Ram" and "gau mata ki jai" and took a dig at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s unclear stand on the issue of triple talaq. He also listed the achievements of the Modi government in the past three years, reportedly claiming that Modi was the first PM to think of the poor in the country.
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He hit out at "secular" leaders for "duplicity in public life" and said they say one thing and do another.
The BJP leader also hit back at his detractors for painting him as "anti-Muslim" and expressing fear about the future of the minority community after he took charge in March this year.
"The Muslim people feel safe and secure under the BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh and that sufficiently answers questions raised (by my detractors). Even Muslim women say that they are safe under the BJP rule," Adityanath said.
He was quick to add about his government's setting up of anti-Romeo squads to deal with eve teasers.
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The UP chief minister said he firmly believed in the Constitution and his government has implemented various development and welfare schemes for the benefit of all sections of society.
"There is rule of law in Uttar Pradesh...My government will not allow anyone to break law...It is the government's duty to guarantee security of all and the law will deal firmly with those violating rules," he said.
Aditynath referred to his government's decision to ban illegal slaughter houses within 24 hours of assuming charge and dared Kumar to do the same in Bihar.
"There is an atmosphere of 'hatasha' (despair), 'nirasha' (disappointment) and 'andhkaar' (darkness) in Bihar at present," he said and wondered why the eastern state was lagging behind in development when the Centre was doing everything possible for the country's progress.
Adityanath said he would visit Bihar at regular intervals and cover all its districts by the time the next Assembly polls take place in late 2020 and help usher in change of guard in the state.
He also urged the people to take part in large numbers at the third International Yoga Day on June 21 and credited the prime minister with making yoga an integral part of the lives of the people in the country and abroad.
With PTI Inputs
