'Andher nagri, chaupat raja,' : Rahul Gandhi attacks Yogi Adityanath over Taj Mahal row

Lucknow: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for not including the iconic monument of love - Taj Mahal – in a new booklet released to mark the completion of his government's six months in power.

"Andher nagri, chaupat raja," the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi tweeted while reacting to the development.

"Sooraj ko deepak na dikhane se uski chamak nahi ghatti! Aise hi raaj ke liye Bhartendu ne likha thha: 'Andher nagri, chaupat raja'', the Gandhi scion posted on Twitter today.

सूरज को दीपक न दिखाने से उसकी चमक नहीं घटती! ऐसे ही राज के लिए भारतेंदु ने लिखा था, 'अंधेर नगरी, चौपट राजा'!https://t.co/4Mrq6Aevue — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 3, 2017

The reactions from the young Congress leader came hours after the brochure was released by Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna.

While the UP Government booklet catalogues tourist destinations like the temple in Gorakhpur, it has no mention of Taj Mahal – one of the seven wonders of the world.

The Tourism Department booklet also outlines plans for new attractions like a tour of monuments and locations central to the Ramayana.

However, in view of the controversy regarding the Taj Mahal, the UP State Tourism Ministry issued a press release detailing a number of projects it had initiated for the historical monument and areas around it.

An official release said that the UP Government had proposed a slew of tourism projects worth Rs 370 crore, around half of which is meant for the Taj Mahal and its surrounding areas.

"Tourism projects worth Rs 370 crore are proposed, under which schemes worth Rs 156 crore are meant for the Taj Mahal and its surrounding areas in Agra," the release read.

The proposal for the projects have been prepared in consultation with the World Bank and submitted to the Union government for approval, which is expected within the next three months, the release read. 

(With PTI inputs)