Placing Ganesh idols at Qutub Minar complex "disrespectful": NMA Chief

New Delhi: The National Monuments Authority (NMA) is seeking to shift two Ganesha idols from Qutub Minar complex to the National Museum, according to The Indian Express.

The Authority's chairman reportedly termed the placement of idols at Qutub Minar complex "disrespectful"

In a letter to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) last month, NMA reportedly sought to get the idols a "respectable" place at the National Museum in accordance with the provision for displaying such antiquities there.

NMA chief Tarun Vijay, a BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP, reportedly confirmed that the written communication was sent to ASI.

Tarun Vijay said that he had visited the site several times and found the placement of idols as disrespectful as they were near the feet of visitors to the mosque, according to The Indian Express.

He went on that after Independence " we" removed the statues of British kings and queens from India Gate as well as changed the names of the roads for erasing marks of colonialism and he added that " we" should  reverse the cultural genocide Hindus faced at the hands of Mughal rulers, the report further said.

At the compound of the 12th century monument, designated by UNESCO in 1995 as a World Heritage site, hosts the idols called " Ulta Ganesh" and "Ganesh in cage"

The "Ulta Ganesh" (upside down) is part of the south-facing wall of the Quwwat Ul Islam mosque in the complex. The other idol, enclosed in an iron cage, is close to the ground level and is part of the same mosque, the report said.

These idols, according to Vijay Tarun, were taken after demolishing 27 Jain and Hindu temples built by King Anangpal Tomar. They include those of Jain Tirthankaras and Yamuna, Dashavatar, Navagrahas, he said.

The way the idols were placed at the Qutub Minar complex, he says, was a mark of contempt for India, needing correction.

Set up in 2011, the National Monuments Authority manages the protection and preservation of monuments and sites, and areas surrounding it.

Both NMA and ASI work under the Union Ministry of Culture. Meanwhile, ASI officials according to Indian Express were not available for comment.