Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here on Friday that the government will not allow anyone to "touch a single fort which is linked to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj".
Fadnavis' statement came after the government's announcement that several forts in the state will be developed for tourism came under criticism from several quarters.
"No such permission will be given for the forts which are linked to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maratha state," the chief minister asserted.
"We are committed to conservation of our history. The decision (of development) has been taken regarding some 200 to 300 forts, where no history of those structures is available and the objective behind this move was to promote tourism at such forts," he said.