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A view of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India Image Credit: Gulf News archive

Dubai: India’s Supreme Court issued a warning that the country’s most famous heritage site, the Taj Mahal, would be “shut down” if steps for immediate restoration were not taken.

Indian Twitter users took to the social media platform to express concern and share details of the warning issued to the union and Uttar Pradesh state governments.

Tweep @OmarSharif523 wrote: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed its anger and disgust over the government’s indifference and ‘apathy’ towards protecting the Taj Mahal. ‘There is absolutely no willingness to protect the Taj Mahal. It has to be protected,’ the bench said.”

@weatherindia posted: “The Supreme Court has been monitoring preservation of Taj Mahal for 31 years but the government has failed to take action. On Wednesday, the court gave an ultimatum to the government.”

According to a Gulf News report, the Supreme Court bench of Justices M.B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta said: “Taj Mahal is now brown and green because of pollution — it has to be protected. There is absolutely no willingness to protect it. Either we will shut it down or you demolish or restore it.”

India’s Supreme Court described efforts to preserve the 16th century marble mausoleum as a “hopeless cause”.

#SaveTaj became a popular hashtag as tweeps shared the news report. Many said that power politics and communal hatred were taking precedence in India, over the country’s betterment.

@GirlThatWas: “Judiciary is the only active institution left in the country, rest of the departments are succumbing to rhetoric and inaction. Government should act before it’s too late #SaveTaj.”

@madhuvanti_s: “Save the Taj Mahal. Save the hundreds of tombs, temples, mosques and churches of this country that are in tatters. Also, save the history of this nation from irresponsible, polarising ignorance and statements. Please. #TajMahal #India #History #Heritage”

Some even called out India’s Prime Minster Narendra modi after he said: “Sadly, India is engrossed in a thought that doesn’t appreciate its heritage. Until we feel proud of our heritage we will not be able to preserve it. Our heritage will continue to be a piece of stone till we try to appreciate it.”

The quote that was tweeted by news agency @ANI received many reactions.

Twitter user @godsonvimal: “Sir our symbol of magnificence Taj Mahal is dying for attention. Request your government to do something for its preservation.”

And @GirlThatWas tweeted: “Hypocrisy doesn’t know the art of doing.”

Early in June this year, members of an Indian right-wing Hindu nationalist organisation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, vandalised the west gate of the Taj Mahal.

Tweep @shabana noted that the Supreme Court’s directive seemed counter-productive. She asked in a tweet: “Did the court just give a right wing government in India, which hates everything Mughal, the option to demolish Taj Mahal? Haha.”

According to media reports, India’s top court lamented that despite a parliamentary standing committee report on the Taj’s protection, no concrete steps were taken by the union and Uttar Pradesh (UP) state government. Reacting to the UP government’s failure to come up with a vision document to protect the monument, the bench said it was “sheer lethargy” on the part of the authorities that the Taj was decaying.

However, some tweeps said the Taj Mahal has been preserved just fine and the change in colour was natural. @santoshshrimali tweeted: “The colour change in marbles of any kind is a natural process. No effort on governmental part can prevent it. The care with which it was handled has extended its life by 3 centuries.”

According to the official website for the Taj Mahal, the masoleum attracts up to 8 million visitors annually. More than 0.8 million of these tourists are from overseas.

@imrantalha329 posted a picture with the words: “One of the most beautiful things in INDIA and in the WORLD.”