Take care of historical sites, says Modi

New Delhi, Oct 29 : Amid the ongoing controversy over the historic Taj Mahal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said forts were symbols of heritage and it was the duty of all the countrymen to keep them safe and clean.

In his his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi appreciated the transformation of Chandarpur fort in Maharashtra in a 200-day cleanliness campaign and urged the people to look after their historical heritage.

"...Forts are symbols of our heritage. And it is the duty of all to keep their historical heritage safe and clean," he said.

Earlier, BJP leader Sangeet Som had called the Taj Mahal a "blot" on Indian culture, to justify the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government's move to remove Taj Mahal from the state's tourism booklet.

The history wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - Akhil Bhartiya Itihaas Sankalan Samiti's Secretary Balmukund Pandey in a television interview demanded that Friday prayers at the Taj Mahal should be banned.

Yogi Adityanath visited the Taj city on Thursday, a step seen as a damage control exercise after a series of controversial statements by some leaders and ministers from his party.