‘Qutub Minar was earlier a ‘Vishnu pillar’ – VHP leader claims, sought permission to worship
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday claimed that the Qutub Minar was earlier a ‘Vishnu pillar’, later parts of it were rebuilt by a Muslim ruler and renamed Quwwat-ul-Islam. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal claimed that the 73-metre high structure was built on a temple of Lord Vishnu and the said temple was built during the time of a Hindu ruler. Bansal claimed in a conversation with PTI, “When the Muslim ruler came, parts of it were rebuilt with material obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu-Jain temples, and renamed Quwwat-ul-Islam. He claimed that the Muslim rulers made several attempts to rebuild some of the upper storeys which they had ‘damaged’, but they could not do so.
He claimed, “A clear difference can be seen in the structure of the first three storeys of the minaret and the structure of the remaining storeys upstairs. These storeys were erected by them because they (Muslim rulers) only wanted to demonstrate the dominance of Islam.” Basal claimed, “It was actually a Vishnu pillar built on a Vishnu temple. They (Muslim rulers) did not make it. It was built by our (Hindu) rulers.
The VHP on Saturday demanded that the government rebuild the ancient temples in the Qutub Minar complex and allow the resumption of Hindu rituals and prayers there. A group of VHP leaders, including Bansal, visited the complex of the monument, which was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. National Monuments Authority (NMA) president and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tarun Vijay on Thursday said Ganesh idols placed in the “derogatory” manner in the Qutub Minar complex should either be removed or installed “respectfully”. should be done.
“The idols are kept in a very degrading place right now… the idols should be removed or kept respectfully inside the Qutub complex,” he told PTI. The issue was raised before the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) even more time back, but till now no reply has been received to their letter.
VHP spokesperson Bansal said, “Tarun Vijay ji has taken up this issue with the ASI. We hope that the government and its concerned departments will seriously consider this issue and restore the honor of Hindu society.” Asked about the VHP’s future course of action on the issue, he said the matter would be discussed by senior leaders and if needed, we can also consider taking legal action. According to the Delhi tourism website, Qutub Minar was constructed from materials obtained after the destruction of 27 Hindu temples at the site after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom of Delhi.
