New Delhi, July 2 -- After a year-long restoration project carried out by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the restored Sheesh Mahal and other heritage structures at DDA Shalimar Bagh were inaugurated on Wednesday.

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in the presence of senior officials and local residents, inaugurated the restored Sheesh Mahal and other heritage structures.

"When I first came here, the walls were broken, the site smelled foul, and locals had reported illegal activities taking place. Despite complaints, nothing had been done," said LG Saxena during the event.

"This is not just a park; it is a page from history that is a fine example of Mughal architecture and even has links to the 1857 revolt," he added.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who is also the MLA from Shalimar Bagh, began her address with a direct jab at former CM Arvind Kejriwal, referencing the much-criticised government bungalow.

"Today, you are being welcomed in the real Sheesh Mahal," she said. "There was one built for personal luxury by some individual, and now there is this, built for the public."

Later, speaking to the media, Gupta directly criticised Kejriwal, saying, "Those who wrap themselves in a false cloak of honesty misused public money for personal comfort."

Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat credited the success of the restoration to the synergy of what he called a "double engine sarkar." He added that similar projects were being carried out across the country under the Modi government, preserving both tangible and intangible heritage.

The whole event, which was scheduled to conclude early, was delayed due to a late start. It ended with the Chief Minister, Lieutenant Governor, and Union Minister posing for photographs with the DDA and ASI teams responsible for the restoration

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.