Graves of Islamic invaders maintained with Government funds

New Delhi – Over the past 15 years, between the financial years 2010-11 and 2024-25, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) spent crores of Rupees on the maintenance of various so-called ‘historical’ Islamic structures in the National capital, New Delhi. On structures that are symbols of atrocities against Hindus. This information has been obtained by Adv. Virendra Ichalkaranjikar (National President of Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad) through the Right to Information (RTI) Act. (Sanatan Prabhat spoke to Adv. Ichalkaranjikar, Mr Ramesh Shinde and Mr Neeraj Atri on this issue.)

1. This includes Rs 1.23 crore spent on the maintenance of Shahi or Qudsia Mosque, Rs 1.06 crore on Begumpuri Mosque, Rs 22.13 lakh on the grave of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Rs 9.67 lakh on the grave of Nizamuddin Auliya, and Rs 16.53 lakh on the grave of Bahlul Lodi – all funded by the Government over the last 15 years. According to the information received, nothing was spent from 2010 to 2022 on the Ashoka Pillar at the Feroz Shah Kotla Fort, but in the following three years, only Rs 74.03 lakh was spent on it. Ashoka Pillar, significant as a historical and archaeological artifact, serves as the National Emblem of India and is found on all Bharatiya currency notes.

2. The new NCERT history textbooks describe Mughal emperor Babur as cruel and merciless, refer to Alauddin Khilji as a temple demolisher, and clearly mention that Mughal rulers, including Aurangzeb, looted and destroyed temples. When this is so, why are structures of Islamic invaders still receiving Government aid ?

3. This revelation has sparked a wave of anger among the Hindus. Reactions include : “The Ashoka Pillar, being part of our National Emblem, deserves significant funding. But why is the Government allocating crores of Rupees to the tombs of rulers who slaughtered millions of Hindus, violated Hindu women, and demolished over 3.5 lakh Hindu temples to erect Islamic structures ? This glorification of anti-Hindu invaders is outrageous. It is not just a mockery of secular Democracy, but also a blatant trampling of Hindu sentiments.

Preserving of the graves of Islamic invaders by the Archaeological Department is nothing but Intellectual Jihad : Adv. Ichalkaranjikar

1. Temples face constant opposition in our country, while graves are preserved with utmost care. On the one hand, temples are taken over by the state, and their funds are squandered on unrelated purposes. On the other hand, the Waqf Board, which controls all Islamic institutions and properties, functions like a parallel Government, and no administration dares intervene in its affairs. Temple funds are to be looted freely, while Waqf assets are managed entirely by Muslims, and the Government provides them funds too. This double standard is a symptom of Intellectual Jihad. Sadly, we fail to recognise this form of terrorism. Whether it is the glorification of Islamic invaders in NCERT textbooks or symbolic veneration of their tombs by the ASI, the real issue is the slumber of Hindu society. When will we awaken ?

2. In Islam, grave worship is strictly prohibited. That is why, the Muslims are specifically instructed to avoid worshiping at graves, including that of the Prophet. Due to their strict interpretations of Islam, Wahhabism and Salafism strongly condemn the veneration of graves and dargahs. When even Sufi Saints’ tombs are not spared from opposition, then why this misplaced sympathy for the tombs of Islamic invaders ?

Secularists deliberately neglect Hindu structures and forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj : Ramesh Shinde (National Spokesperson, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti)

Under the garb of so-called secularism, Congress and other secular political parties have indulged in tremendous appeasement of Muslims. This includes funding madarasas, providing salaries to maulvis, and granting subsidies for Haj pilgrimage. From the Taj Mahal to other Islamic structures and tombs – all were presented as India’s Islamic ‘heritage’, and huge amounts were spent to beautify and preserve them.

In Mumbai, there was even an attempt to convert terrorist Yakub Memon’s burial site into a dargah and beautify it. All the while, awe-inspiring Hindu structures, breathtaking temples with intricate architecture, and Divine Idols of Hindu Deities were deliberately ignored.

The facts revealed by the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad through RTI are a wake-up call for everyone. Hindu organisations must come together and pursue the Government to allocate funds for the neglected Forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, ancient temples, and ruined Hindu structures, and work to restore their former glory.

Government must act to correct the flawed priorities of its institutions : Neeraj Atri (Renowned historian)

The ASI continues to function in the Nehruvian era pseudo-secularism – that ignores anything to do with our cultural values while glorifying every remnant of foreign invaders. When taxpayers’ money is being used to portray aggressors as ‘philanthropists’, the agenda becomes crystal clear. The Government must stop the misplaced priorities of its institutions. Only then will it truly align with PM’s Independence Day vision – of liberating the Nation from symbols of colonial and cultural slavery.