National Monuments Authority Asks ASI To Either Remove Or Place Ganesha Idols 'Respectfully' In Qutub Complex

The former MP Tarun Vijay said he had raised the issue with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) more than a year ago but is yet to receive a response to his letter.

Qutub Minar | Getty Images

New Delhi: National Monuments Authority (NMA) Chairman and BJP leader Tarun Vijay on Thursday said the Ganesha idols placed "disrespectfully" in the Qutub Minar complex should either be removed or installed "respectfully".

The former MP said he had raised the issue with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) more than a year ago but is yet to receive a response to his letter.

"The idols are currently placed at a most disrespectful place, upside down at the feet level of the visitors. The idols should either be removed or placed respectfully inside the Qutub complex," he told PTI.

In a tweet, Vijay also sought to know what happened to the 27 temples that were believed to be located inside the complex.

"...why Ganesha moorti was put upside down to humiliate Hindus. There are Tirthankars, Yamuna, Dashavatar, Krishna's birth, and Navagraha moortis never shown to visitors," he said in the tweet.

The BJP leader also said correcting such wrongs is a way to "fight against colonialism".

Two idols of Ganesha -- "Ulta Ganesh" and "Ganesha in cage" -- are there in the compound of the 12th-century monument, which was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.

The "Ulta Ganesh" (upside down) is part of the south-facing wall of the Quwwat Ul Islam mosque in the complex. The other idol, enclosed in an iron cage, is close to the ground level and is part of the same mosque.

"What happened was a cultural genocide and it has to be reversed," Vijay said.

The ASI, which is the custodian of the monument, said the matter is being looked into.