(LiveMint)
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Agra Mayor Naveen Jain has asked the Centre to close the iconic Taj Mahal for the time being, much to the annoyance of the tourism industry here. In a letter to the Union Tourism Minister, Jain said: “If the monuments remained closed, the inflow of tourists to Agra could be checked to prevent people here from falling victim to the virus. From October to March end is the tourist season when lakhs of tourists visit the city.
“The people here were scared of all the foreigners and looked at them with suspicion. This situation could turn nasty and tarnish India’s image internationally,” he said.The visit of the 14 Italian tourists, who later tested positive to the virus, to the city has raised concerns of the administration, and the hotel management was passing the buck to the administration.
