Work to correct 'malicious perception' created about Indian culture: Prahlad Patel

Prahlad Singh Patel, a five-time lawmaker from Madhya Pradesh and known for supporting ban on cow slaughter, took charge as the culture minister (independent charge) on Friday and said he would work towards "correcting the malicious perception" created about the Indian culture.

Patel, who was once considered a political protege of BJP leader Uma Bharti, got elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989 and has got a place in the Union council of ministers once again after 15 years.

He was the junior coal minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2003.

The 57-year-old parliamentarian brought a private bill in Parliament for ban on cow slaughter way back in 2000.

"While the roadmap for the future has already been drawn during 2014-2019, but some deficiencies remain. There have been some malicious perceptions that have been created about the Indian culture. Like about Kumbh.

"I believe that one of the big successes between 2014-2019 is that today what the world knows about Kumbh is actually what Indian culture is," Singh, who will take charge as tourism minister (independent charge) on Tuesday, said.

He said, "We have have to work on both aspects. India is big and our culture is big. If it spreads in the world, so will tourism. So, we have to correct this perception".