A portion of the Varanasi house of Bharat Ratna awardee and legendary shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan has been demolished, prompting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to criticise the BJP government. The Varanasi Municipal Corporation, however, said the demolition was carried out by the maestro’s family, which had declined its proposal to convert part of the property into a museum.
Calling the demolition “utterly reprehensible”, Yadav accused the BJP of being hostile towards art and artists.
“What more can you expect from those for whom the shehnai did not play?” he wrote in Hindi in a post on X on Saturday.
Yadav said art encourages empathy and tolerance and helps bring social change. He alleged that the BJP and its allies viewed creative expression as an obstacle to their agenda.
“Destroying the shared legacy of someone who has been awarded the Bharat Ratna is tantamount to destroying not only their dignity and honour but also the honour of India,” he wrote.
Yadav also promised that a future Samajwadi Party government would build a “listening museum” to preserve Bismillah Khan’s musical legacy.
Varanasi Municipal Corporation Says Family Refused Museum Proposal
The Varanasi Municipal Corporation denied any role in the demolition, saying the family had decided to pull down portions of the house and redevelop the property independently.
Sandeep Srivastava, the civic body’s public relations officer, said the corporation had approached the family as part of a project to honour prominent personalities associated with the city.
The project includes developing roads leading to their residences around themes reflecting their lives and contributions, and converting a room in each residence into a museum.
Srivastava said the corporation had held discussions with Bismillah Khan’s family about setting up a museum at his house, but the family did not consent to the proposal.
Citing the building’s dilapidated condition, the family expressed a desire to demolish the structure and carry out redevelopment on its own, he said.
The corporation had earlier issued a notice concerning the building’s poor condition. Srivastava added that it could not proceed with the museum project without the family’s consent and had no involvement in the demolition.
Police Say Family Dispute Was Resolved
Chowk police station SHO Vijay Kumar Shukla also said the property owner was carrying out the demolition himself.
He said family members had approached the police over an internal dispute concerning parts of the property. The dispute has since been resolved, and the owner is now demolishing the house, he added.
The demolition has sparked a political dispute over the preservation of the legacy of Bismillah Khan, one of India’s most celebrated classical musicians.
