PM Modi inaugurates international museum expo, underlines preservation of heritage
New Delhi, May 18 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his government has prioritised preservation of the country’s heritage and lamented that enough efforts were not made in this direction post Independence.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the International Museum Expo 2023 at Pragati Maidan here, he also flagged the issue of “smuggling and appropriation” of ancient Indian artefacts, while asserting that amid India’s growing prestige in the world, various countries have now started returning heritage artefacts belonging to India.
Modi cited examples of the statue of Maa Annapurna that was stolen from Varanasi, which has come back to country, the statue of Mahishasurmardini from Gujarat, the idols of Nataraja built during the Chola Empire, and the sword decorated with the name of Guru Hargobind Singh Ji.
