By Mohammed Baleegh / Siasat
Lucknow: Shia religious leaders will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking restoration of the original names of Muslim historical and heritage sites in Lucknow.
Shia cleric Mohammad Mirza Yasoob Abbas made the announcement after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) put up a signboard mentioning the name of Imambara Shahnajaf as the tomb of Ghazi-ud-Din-Haider.
While the cleric termed the act as an attempt to “destroy Muslim history and heritage”, the ASI authorities in Lucknow claimed that Shahnajaf Imambara was mentioned as Ghazi-ud-Din Haider’s tomb in the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1920, and they had only put up the signboard with the correct name.
Maulana Yasoob Abbas, who is also the general secretary of the All-India Shia Personal Law Board, said: “There is a continuous attempt to destroy our (Muslim) history and heritage. Heritage sites such as Bara Imambara, Hussainabad Imambara, Imambara Shahnajaf, Picture Gallery, Safed Baradari and other monuments are generating crores of rupees in revenue for the government every year from tourism. ASI has failed to maintain or restore dilapidated structures. Now, they have started changing names of Muslim religious sites.
“Imambara Shahnajaf was built by Nawab Ghaziud-Din-Haider for offering of prayers. When the person who constructed the monument did not name it as a tomb, how can ASI call it a tomb?”
The Shahnajaf Imambara, located at Rana Pratap Marg, was constructed by Nawab Ghazi-ud-Din Haider, the last nawab wazir and the first king of Awadh in 1816-1817.
This story was originally published in siasat.com . Read the full story here