top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

‘End defamation of Lohagad Fort’

Prominent mountaineering institute urges CM to take steps over digital defamation Mumbai: A prominent mountaineering institute has taken strong objection to the vilification of the historic Lohagad Fort in Pune – now a UNESCO World Heritage (2025) along with 12 Maratha forts – which shot into limelight last month for an alleged murder. Pune-based Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Mahasangh (AMGM) has shot off a memorandum to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking an end to the ‘digital...

‘End defamation of Lohagad Fort’

Prominent mountaineering institute urges CM to take steps over digital defamation Mumbai: A prominent mountaineering institute has taken strong objection to the vilification of the historic Lohagad Fort in Pune – now a UNESCO World Heritage (2025) along with 12 Maratha forts – which shot into limelight last month for an alleged murder. Pune-based Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Mahasangh (AMGM) has shot off a memorandum to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking an end to the ‘digital defamation’ of Lohagad Fort which stands as a symbol of valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It has referred to the shocking alleged murder incident of June 18 of a Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal which was ostensibly masterminded by his fiancée Siya Goyal and her purported boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary, both arrested and currently under judicial custody. The gruesome incident has taken social media by a storm with a disturbing trend in which this 2000-year-old World Heritage Monument and the site of the alleged killing is now blatantly referred to as ‘Siya Point’. Disturbing Trend The AMGM claimed that besides the social media, it is reportedly ‘rechristened’ on certain digital mapping platforms, urging thrill-seekers to visit the site -- “which is a disturbing trend”. In the past few weeks, a commanding cliff in the Lohagad Fort has been repeatedly touted as ‘Siya Point’, sparking curiosity among the masses. However, the AMGM lamented that turning the site of a tragedy into a public attraction is deeply unfortunate and sets a dangerous precedent for other heritage monuments all over India by creating new macabre tourist landmarks. “Linking the identity of the historic fort to an isolated crime, assigning new names to locations within the fort, circulating memes, reels, jokes and sensational digital content, amounts to disrespecting both history and public sentiments. It must be immediately stopped,” an agitated AMGM President Umesh Zirpe told ‘The Perfect Voice’. Trekkers’ Pilgrimage In the presentation to the CM, the AMGM said that Lohagad Fort represents the history of Swarajya and is like a pilgrimage for trekkers, historians and lakhs of devotees of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Zirpe, along with AMGM Executive Yadav and Secretary Dr. Rahul Warange raised another concern that has repeatedly drawn flak from various quarters – the rampant commercial exploitation of forts for pre-wedding shoots, fashion photography, music videos, reels by social media influencers or other promotional advertising, disregarding their historical significance, cultural sanctity or environmental sensitivity. They pointed out globally, there are prohibitions or stringent regulations on commercial filming and photography at such World Heritage Sites, and the same must be made applicable to monuments in India and Maharashtra. “While individual visitors/tourists should be allowed to click personal photos/videos, all other commercial activities must be curbed or regulated through a robust policy, mandatory prior permissions, adhering to a strict code of conduct and punitive measures against violators,” suggested the AMGM.

US Vice President JD Vance, his family arrive in Delhi

  • PTI
  • Apr 21, 2025
  • 2 min read


NEW DELHI: US Vice President J D Vance arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to India against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between the two strategic partners to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance is accompanied by his Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri and their three children Ewan, Vivek, Mirabel and a delegation of senior US government officials.


The US Vice President and the Second Lady were received at the Palam air base by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.


The American leader was also accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival.

In the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for the Vances after holding wide-ranging talks with the US Vice President.


External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian ambassador to US Vinay Mohan Kwatra are expected to be part of the Indian team to be led by PM Modi at the talks.


The focus of the meeting is likely to be on early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost overall trajectory of ties between the two countries.


Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra.

Vance's first visit to India comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India.


New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance and his family are scheduled to leave for Jaipur on Monday night.

In Delhi, the US Vice President and his family are staying at the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel.


On April 22, the Vances will visit a number of historical sites in Jaipur, including the Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site.


In the afternoon, the US Vice President is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.


Vance is expected to delved into broader aspects of India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during his speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian government officials and academia.


The US Vice President and his family will travel to Agra on the morning of April 23, people familiar with the matter said.


In Agra, they will visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram which is an open air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts, they said.


After concluding their visit to Agra, the Vances will return to Jaipur on the second half of April 23.


The US Vice President and his family will depart for the US from Jaipur on April 24, according to the people cited above.

Comments

bottom of page