DNA Edit: The Ta j attack

Sangeet Som, the BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh, loves courting controversies to shore up his political stocks. The war-of-words over Taj Mahal came in handy for an attention-hungry politician who, despite being a lightweight in the party, knows how to manipulate the media.

No wonder the BJP top brass, like on previous occasions, chose to distance itself from Som’s ignorant remarks on, arguably, the most famous historical structure of India that stands as a testimony to love.

Predictably, his design to curry favours with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has come a cropper. The CM made it clear that Som’s comments are his personal opinion and the state government doesn’t endorse them. The RSS, too, chose to keep a safe distance.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Som lacks a basic understanding of history — many politicians cutting across party lines are barely qualified to speak on issues they apparently hold dear to their hearts. What’s alarming is their propensity to vitiate the atmosphere and polarise society on communal lies.

The torrent of opinions in the wake of the controversy will merely generate more decibel, thus dignifying Som’s prattle, when, ideally, it should have been ignored. Som’s appetite for self-publicity has stoked the ambitions of fringe players, such as SP’s Azam Khan and AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, who have promptly pounced on the opportunity to pander to their voter base.

It is impossible to erase the “blot” of the 331-year-long Mughal rule, even if history textbooks are whitewashed with the ink of revisionism. Well, many Mughal rulers did commit atrocities, but the contributions of the empire — in terms of art, culture, architecture, food, language and administrative practices — are too strong to wilt under outright rejection.