New Delhi: Qutub Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of South Delhi, was a ‘Vishnu Stambh’ before some of its portions was reconstructed by a Muslim ruler and renamed as Quwwat-ul-Islam, claimed the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on 10 April, 2022.
Vinod Bansal, the national spokesperson for the right-wing organisation, claimed that the 73-metre-high structure was built on a temple of lord Vishnu constructed during the times of a Hindu ruler.
Bansal, speaking to news agency PTI, said: “When the Muslim ruler came, some of its portions were reconstructed with the materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu-Jain temples, and renamed as Quwwat-ul-Islam (Might of Islam).”
Muslim rulers made multiple efforts to rebuild some of the top floors that they had “damaged”, but they could not restore it, he claimed.
“One can see a clear difference in the structure of the first three floors of the tower and the remaining floors towards the top. These floors were superimposed by them as they (Muslim rulers) just wanted to showcase the dominance of Islam,” Bansal further added.
“It was actually a Vishnu Stambh built on a Vishnu temple. They (Muslim rulers) did not build it. Our (Hindu) rulers built it,” the VHP leader claimed.
The government rebuild the ancient temples at the Qutab Minar complex and allow resumption of Hindu rituals and prayers there, the VHP demanded on 9 April, 2022.
The aforementioned demands came after a delegation of VHP leaders, , including Bansal, visited the compound of the monument, which was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.
Tarun Vijay, National Monument Authority (NMA) chairman and BJP leader, said on 7 April that Ganesha idols were placed “disrespectfully” in the Qutab Minar complex.
“The idols are currently placed at the most disrespectful place, upside down at the feet level of visitors. The idols should either be removed or placed respectfully inside the Qutub complex,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.
He had raised the issue with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over a year ago but was yet to receive a response to his letter, Vijay said.
“Tarun Vijay ji has raised the issue with the ASI… We hope that the government and its concerned departments do a serious pondering over the issue and restore the honour of the Hindu society,” VHP’s Bansal said.
Bansal, when questioned about the VHP’s future course of action on the issue, said the matter will be discussed by senior leaders and “if the need arises, we may also consider taking a legal course of action.”
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