NEW DELHI: Responding to a question on petitions challenging the existence of historic centuries-old mosques, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday asserted that powers frightened by the growth of India are behind this and an investigation is required to uncover the mindset.
“Definitely filing a PIL (public interest litigation) in democratic India is a privilege of a person, I can’t prevent a person? However, on these issues, behind all these, power and mindset is on the job. It needs to be looked into, and investigated. Some people are scared of progress and the speed of growth of the country,” said the minister.
The minister further added that the Government has been exposing these kinds of people and preserving the cultural heritage. “The Government is working and making efforts with seriousness to preserve the heritage of the country so that it remains a matter of pride for coming generations,” Shekhawat said.
Shekhawat was speaking on the achievements of the culture and tourism ministries in the last 10 years at a press conference.
He was asked specifically about lawsuits against Taj Mahal, Delhi’s Jama Masjid and the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. According to the claim made in petitions, these historic sites were built over Hindu temples.
At the press conference, Shekhawat spoke about the transformative strides in tourism, detailing infrastructure developments, global promotional campaigns, and projects aimed at enhancing India’s cultural and tourism landscape.
He said that the over 10-year tenure of the Narendra Modi Government revolves around a relentless pursuit of realising the visions of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (development of all) and ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi (development with preservation of heritage). Shekhawat stated that intensified efforts are being made to make tourism an integral part of building a ‘Viksit Bharat.’ A total of 76.17 million jobs have been created in the tourism sector, he added.
The minister also said that domestic tourist numbers have seen a remarkable increase of 95.64 percent since 2014. “India’s ranking in the global travel and tourism development index has improved from 65 to 39. Over Rs 6,800 crore has been spent on destination development projects. Projects worth Rs 3,295.76 crore have recently been approved for development of lesser-known tourism sites in various states. The e-tourist visa facility has proven to be very beneficial for the visitors,” the minister said.