Yogi visits Taj Mahal, launches cleanliness drive

Over 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of Adityanath, who arrived here early this morning. Adityanath is the first BJP CM of UP to visit the monument of love. His decision to visit the Taj Mahal was announced after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the monument in its list of development projects in the state.

He will laid foundation for the development of a tourist pathway from the Taj Mahal to the Agra Fort besides. The chief minister has already declared that the state government will spend Rs 370 crore on development plans aimed at promoting tourism in the city of Taj. Adityanath also stayed for half an hour at the graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and visited the Shah Jahan park nearby.

Donning a mask and wielding a broom, Adityanath swept a parking area outside the Taj Mahal. Yogi, accompanied by dozens of officials and police commandos, wore yellow gloves, a white cap and an anti- pollution mask to sweep litter at the west gate of the Taj Mahal along with 500 BJP members.

His visit comes almost a week after BJP MLA Sangeet Som stirred a controversy by saying that the Taj Mahal was built by traitors and was a 'blot' on Indian culture.

UP Minsiter Rita Bahuguna Joshi tried distance the government from Som's remark and said the views expressed by the Sardhana MLA were "personal".

A few days later, some members of Rashtra Swabhimaan Dal (RSD) and Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) chanted 'Shiv Chalisa' on the premises of the Taj Mahal. BJP MP Vinay Katiyar backed this and said youths chanting Shiv Chalisa should not be condemned as Taj mahal was once a Shiva Temple.

Several BJP leaders have in the past gone on to state that the Taj Mahal was in reality a temple.

The UP Chief Minister has already declared that the state government will spend Rs 370 crore on development plans aimed at promoting tourism in the city of Taj .