Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 3: In a bid to “purify” the 17th century monument Taj Mahal, what they believed was a Lord Shiva temple, two members of a right wing organisation have landed themselves in jail.
The two individuals were arrested on Saturday for surreptitiously offering ‘Gangajal’ at the tomb inside the Taj Mahal in Agra. The duo were apprehended by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, which is responsible for the security of the Taj Mahal, for allegedly offering “Gangajal” that they had brought in plastic bottles.
The CISF members are tasked with frisking and checking bags at the entry gates. They also manage the crowd inside the Taj’s premises and at the main mausoleum.
But the CISF came to know about their misadventure only after a purported video of the incident went viral on the social media in which they can be seen surreptitiously pouring the holy water on a closed staircase leading to the basement of Taj Mahal, which houses original graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. They poured the holy water on a sticker placed on the monument displaying OM.
As per the reports, the two accused are associated with a right-wing organisation. They argued that the Taj Mahal was not a monument but a Shiva temple and the holy water was poured to “purify” the monument built on Shiva temple, the police said.
The two are in custody at the Taj Ganj police station and a probe is on, Agra city deputy commissioner of police Suraj Rai said. Efforts to rename the Taj Mahal have been ongoing, with occasional attempts made to conduct aarti or pujas with prayers.
A court case is currently in progress locally, seeking permission for such religious offerings. The month of Sawan is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Groups aligned with Hindutva ideology often refer to the Taj Mahal as ‘Tejo Mahalay.’
Earlier a woman activist of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha attempted to offer Gangajal at Taj Mahal but was stopped by police at a barricade and her bottle with Gangajal seized.