For 50-year-old Nasir Khan, a tourist from Gujarat, the visit to Qutub Minar on Tuesday turned out to be very different from what he had imagined. Mr. Khan, who had come to the heritage monument to appreciate its magnificence and explore its history, found the site closed to visitors in anticipation of a demonstration called here by right-wing outfits.
Soon after his arrival, Mr. Khan saw protesters in the area demanding that the Qutub Minar be renamed as “Vishnu Stambha”. The protesters blocked roads leading to the monument, gathered outside the complex and recited the Hanuman Chalisa — leaving many tourists baffled.
Police personnel had been deployed at the site to maintain law and order.
“Raising issues about the origins of a site is becoming a pattern now. Qutub Minar is India’s heritage and it should be protected at all costs,” Mr. Khan said.
He added that such propaganda ends up fueling fire between communities. “Weren’t things right the way they were? Shouldn’t we be living in harmony?” he said.
Aashika, 28, another tourist who had turned up on Tuesday to explore the monument, said, “We need to leave politics out of such historical sites and as a country need to respect all religions. We must understand that such heritage sites are independent spaces and they should be respected for what they represent.”
Yashpal, a dhaba owner near Qutub Minar, called the demonstration a “political move”, adding that debates among commoners will yield no result because at the end of the day, it is the government that takes the decision and citizens play an insignificant role.
Raja Kumar, 22, a local vendor, who supported the demands of the protesters, said, “This fight has been going on for a long time and the Hindus are entitled to their rights.”
