No initiative taken for repatriation of Kohinoor diamond: Government

NEW DELHI: India has not put forth any initiative for repatriation of the Kohinoor diamond as cultural properties taken out of the country prior to the independence cannot be claimed on the ground of violation of law, the government said today.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Culture Shripad Naik said the Culture Ministry or Archaeological Survey of India has not put forth any initiative for repatriation of the Kohinoor diamond.

The Minister was replying to a question on whether the Government had taken any initiative for repatriation of Kohinoor diamond from the illegal possession of British Government through any bilateral mechanism or sought UN intervention or undertook legal steps in this regard.

"The cultural property taken out prior to India's independence cannot be claimed on the ground of violation of any law. The issue is not covered under the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)," he added.