Three right wing activists held for attempting to offer prayers at Taj
Three activists of a right wing outfit were arrested for trying to offer prayers at Taj Mahal on the occasion of Maha Shivratri on Thursday, police said
Three activists of a right wing outfit were arrested for trying to offer prayers at Taj Mahal on the occasion of Maha Shivratri on Thursday, police said.
Those arrested belonged to Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha and said Taj Mahal was a Shiva temple --Tejo Mahalaya-- and hence prayers can be offered there.
The CISF personnel handed over the trio to Tajganj police who booked them under section 153(A) of Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion.
Various right wing bodies have been stressing that Taj Mahal was built on a Shiva temple and efforts were made time and again to offer prayers on campus of the historical monument.
A civil suit is also pending in Agra courts wherein petitioners have demanded to declare Taj Mahal as Tejo Mahalaya.
On occasion of Maha Shivratri on Thursday, the three activists -- Meena Diwakar, provincial president of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha along with district incharge Jitendra Kushwaha and district vice president Vishal Kumar entered the Taj premises and offered water to Sun god and were going to offer prayers before the main mausoleum when the CISF men nabbed them.
While Kushwaha and Kumar were presented before remand magistrate at Civil court in Agra the third activist Meena Diwakar was admitted to Emergency Ward of SN Medical College and Hospital after her health deteriorated. The trio has been sent to 14-day judicial custody after their bail plea was rejected by the court.
Diwakar had been in the limelight in the past too for offering prayers on Taj campus and in 2019 took a ‘kanwad’ to be offered at Taj but was stopped.
“If there can be permission for celebrating ‘Urs’ of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan than why cannot devotees of Lord Shiva are allowed to offer prayers at Tejo Mahalaya,” questioned Sanjay Jaat, national spokesperson of the organisation.