“You want every piece of historical heritage to be erased and just your nameplate stuck on it,” Kharge said.
Manikarnika Ghat Row: The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday claimed that all artifacts and idols present at the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi have been “duly preserved,” contrary to allegations and criticism by several quarters, including the Congress party, over the destruction of history.
The Information & Public Relations Department of the Uttar Pradesh government, in a post on its official X account, said that the ongoing work at the ghat is the “reconstruction and strengthening” of the site.
"For ages, a large number of people have been coming to Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi for cremations. Keeping in mind the convenience, safety, and proper management for devotees, the reconstruction and strengthening work of the ghat is currently underway,” it wrote in a post on X.
“Under this, beautification work is being carried out on the old steps of the ghat and its raw sections,” it added.
The Uttar Pradesh government claimed that all temples located on the ghat will be fully preserved.
“In the reconstruction area, there was a matha and some artifacts on the walls, which have been affected during the work,” it admitted.
It added that regarding the affected “matha and some artifacts,” certain alleged “misleading and baseless” claims are being circulated on social media, which it said have “no connection to reality.”
It further stated that, contrary to these claims, all artifacts and idols present on the ghat have been duly preserved by the Culture Department and kept in a safe place, and after the reconstruction work is completed, they will be reinstalled in their original form.The
Congress party has strongly criticized the ongoing work at the ghat, alleging that “destroying Manikarnika Ghat is not just destroying a ghat. It is erasing India’s identity, culture, and heritage”
The Congress party has strongly criticized the ongoing work at the ghat, alleging that “destroying Manikarnika Ghat is not just destroying a ghat. It is erasing India’s identity, culture, and heritage.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also criticized the ongoing work, calling it “tasteless beautification and commercialization,” for allegedly destroying centuries-old religious, cultural, and spiritual heritage.
“You want every piece of historical heritage to be erased and just your nameplate stuck on it,” Kharge said.
“First, in the name of corridors, small and large temples and shrines were demolished, and now it's the turn of the ancient ghats. You have committed the crime of demolishing that rare ancient heritage—the Manikarnika Ghat described in the Gupta period, which Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar ji had renovated. Kashi, the world's oldest city, is such a confluence of spirituality, culture, education, and history that it attracts the entire world toward it. Is the intention behind all this once again to benefit your business friends? You have handed over water, forests, mountains—everything to them; now it's the turn of cultural heritage,” Kharge wrote in a post on his X.
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