Two Right-Wing Body Members Held For Offering ‘Gangajal’ Inside Taj Mahal

In a bizarre incident, two individuals were arrested on Saturday for surreptitiously offering ‘Gangajal’ at the tomb inside the Taj Mahal in Agra.

According to news agency IANS, the two accused were apprehended by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the 17th-century monument for allegedly offering the Gangajal that they had brought in plastic bottles.

The CISF is responsible for the security of the Taj Mahal. 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.

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, and onto a sticker placed on the monument displaying Om (holy symbol in Hinduism).

As per the reports, the two accused are associated with a right-wing organisation. They argued that the Taj Mahal is not a monument but a Shiva temple and the holy water was poured onto a sticker displaying Om, IANS quoted the police as saying.

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 ‘TejoMahalay’.

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.

(With inputs from agencies)