Qutub Minar row: Centre denies reports that claim ASI to conduct excavation at the complex

Amid a row over Qutub Minar, Union Minister of Culture, GK Reddy has denied media reports that his ministry has asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct an excavation at the Qutub Minar complex to ascertain the facts behind its origin.

Speaking to news agency ANI on the matter, he said, “No such decision has been taken.”

Earlier, several media reports had claimed that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been instructed to conduct an excavation drive in the Qutub complex to ascertain the facts about the structure.

Recently, an ex-ASI officer has claimed that the Qutub Minar was not built by Qutb al-Din Aibak. Ex-Regional Director Dharamveer Sharma has claimed recently that the Qutub Minar, which is known to be built by Qutb al-Din Aibak, was actually built by Raja Vikramaditya to study the direction of the Sun.

The former archaeology department officer has said that the Qutub Minar is actually a solar tower or observatory tower constructed by Raja Vikramaditya during the 5th century.