Who does the Taj Mahal belong to, Assaduddin Owaisi asks Cultural Minister

NEW DELHI: Who does the Taj Mahal belong to? This question was asked by Assaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) to Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma when he was responding to supplementary questions on museums.

When Dharmendra Yadav (SP) asked the first supplementary on museums, Owaisi, sitting next to Yadav, asked, "Who does the Taj Mahal belong to?"

The minister ignored the question asked twice and continued addressing members who were asking supplementaries.

The query came against the backdrop of UP Urban Development and Minority Affairs Minister and senior SP leader Azam Khan recently saying that the Taj Mahal should be declared a property of the state's Waqf Board.

Khan, who is also waqf minister of the state, had said on November 13 that the Taj Mahal should be declared a waqf property and he should be given its charge.

He was speaking at a meeting of Muslim leaders in Lucknow where member of waqf boards had gathered.

In his reply, the Sharma said the National Archives of India has been receiving proposals from states and UTs for financial assistance to protect manuscripts of historical and cultural importance.

"This apart, National Mission for Manuscripts has provided funds to states for documentation and preservation of scripts," he said.