Even Hyderabad House in delhi was built by "Traitor"will MODI stop hosting Foreign Dignitaries?? — Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) 1508126849000

If Taj Mahal is built by traitors so is Red Fort, says Owaisi

NEW DELHI: The AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi had a stinging response today to a BJP MLA saying the Taj Mahal was built by a "traitor" - "Traitors also built Red Fort, will Modi stop hoisting Tiranga (tricolour) (from there)"?Owaisi took it one further and asked if the PM would also stop hosting foreign dignitaries at the Capital's iconic Hyderabad House, because that, too, was built by "traitors".Earlier in the day, a video surfaced of Sangeet Som , a UP BJP legislator, saying the Taj Mahal isn't part of Indian culture and shouldn't be either, because the man who built it, Shah Jahan, "tried to wipe out Hindus". He added that Mughal emperors Babur, Akbar and Aurangzeb were "traitors".The AIMIM's Owaisi wasn't the only person critical of Som's comments. The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the National Conference (NC) also slammed Som.NC leader Omar Abdullah wondered if people looked forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the nation on Independence Day from New Delhi's Nehru Stadium instead of from the ramparts of the Red Fort.An SP spokeswoman said the Taj must not be dragged into any controversies."Don't create controversy around Taj Mahal. It brings lot of revenue," said the SP's Juhi Singh, about the BJP MLA's comment.The BJP's Som, though, indicated he doesn't believe the Taj Mahal should be historical site.Touching on the recent dropping of the monument from a State list of Uttar Pradesh's historical sites, Som wondered why it should be considered part of Indian culture and history."Many were sad when the Taj Mahal was removed from the list of historical places. What kind of history? What place's history? Whose history? The history that the man who built the Taj Mahal imprisoned his father? The history that he wanted to wipe out the Hindus from all of Uttar Pradesh and India?" asked Som.