Narendra Modi govt’s claim at Vibrant Gujarat: Most protected mosques in state

A factfile of Gujarat inserted in the folio given to business delegates at the 6th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit had an interesting acknowledgement. Perhaps for the first time, the BJP government seems to have found some glory in the cultural heritage of Muslims in Gujarat. For, the list of '50 golden facts about Gujarat' boasted about the state Gujarat having the highest number of protected mosques in the country.

"Gujarat has the highest number of protected mosques in the country. There are 205 mosques deemed to be of national importance within the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India, 44 of them in Gujarat — more than in any other state," states the brochure prepared by Industrial Extension Bureau (INDEXTb), one of the arms of the government which hosted the summit in Gandhinagar.

The data has been taken from the ASI's list of protected monuments. Most of these mosques are in Ahmedabad, including Sidi Saiyad, Ahmed Shah, Shah Kupa, Jami Masjid, and Queen's mosques among others.

When contacted, ASI's Gujarat head K C Naurial said he does not not have the exact data but Gujarat does house a large number of protected mosques in the country. These are of national importance.

The brochure also recognises the legacy of Sultan Ahmed Shah, who founded Ahmedabad.

This assumes significance as after taking over the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in 1995, the BJP had passed a resolution to change the name of Ahmedabad to Karnavati in a bid to show that the city was founded by Raja Karnadev.

The INDEXTb document says, "Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat, was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah to serve as the capital of the Gujarat Sultanate, and was named after him. Ahmedabad is currently celebrating its 600th birth year."

Other claims

... contd.

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