The Unnao gold digging is a nationwide disgrace

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) stopped digging for gold treasure at the fort of Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Unnao on Tuesday.

Media reports said that as per the ASI officials, excavations have established that there was no gold at the fort. Just some pottery pieces from Buddhist era have been recovered from the place.

The digging began on October 18 after a venerated seer, Shobhan Sarkar, saw in his dreams that 1,000 tonnes of gold was believed to be hidden under the ruins of a 19th century dilapidated fort. The fort belonged to Unnao’s mid-19th century ruler Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh. Unnao is 50 km from the state capital Lucknow.

Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh fought the British forces along with Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi during the 1857 First War of Independence and was overthrown in the process. He went into hiding, but was captured by British forces in Varanasi and sent to the gallows.

Even in the 21st century, India is a rope-trick country regardless of developments in science and technology.

I wish our political leaders had even 10 percent of commonsense and concern for upliftment of common people, and not take such brainless steps to cover up their own actions full of blunders.

Such incidents make one wonder that are we are living in the 18th century. To think that the government goes on a war-footing for this.