Across parties, U.P. MLAs push to promote Hindu sites

373 proposals have been submitted to boost tourism under the Mukyamantri Paryatan Samvardhan Yojana

An analysis of a tourism development scheme launched in Uttar Pradesh has shown that most of the MLAs — especially those of Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) — have chosen Hindu religious, spiritual and cultural sites for promotion. In the rare instances, where an MLA picked a shrine linked to Muslims or sufism, one of them belongs to the BJP, going against political expectations. Most of the Muslim MLAs of the main Opposition Samajwadi Party also preferred Hindu sites. There were only two dargahs in the list; one dedicated to a Sufi saint Latif Shah in Chandauli which was nominated by a BJP MLA.