Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who is no stranger to controversy, has given a controversial statement regarding the Taj Mahal and claimed that he is one leader who can walk shoulder to shoulder with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster Yogi Adityanath and get "thousands" of Muslims along with him to demolish the Taj Mahal. He said that "Yogiji (Yogi Adityanath) and others told me that the Taj Mahal was a Shiv temple, if it is so, I am one Muslim who can get 10,000 to 20,000 Muslims to demolish the Taj Mahal." Azam Khan also called the Taj Mahal as Gulaami ki Nisaani which means a "symbol of slavery."

Azam Khan said that, "Taj Mahal is a Shiv Temple, Yogi Ji (UP CM) and many other people told me this. I am the kind of Muslim who walk with Yogi Ji & will also get 10-20 thousand other Muslims along, to demolish Taj Mahal." Watch the video of the Samajwadi Party leader making the statement while talking to news agency ANI:

The controversy over the Taj Mahal is not new. There have been alternative histories offered about the origin of Taj Mahal and some extremists claim that the Taj Mahal was not built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan but was actually a temple named "Tejo Mahal." No scientific or architectural proof has been found for the same though. But Azam Khan's statement, and him calling the Taj Mahal as a "symbol of slavery" is bound to create a storm in the political circles of Uttar Pradesh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 28, 2018 07:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).