A right-wing group has threatened to perform a puja inside the Taj Mahal, alleging that some Muslims have defied an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) notification banning namaz except on Fridays.A CISF commandant said an inquiry was being conducted into the reported incident of namaz being offered on Wednesday.
The locals are insisting that they are allowed to go inside for prayers daily. Muslim leaders blamed the ASI for fomenting communal trouble on false pretexts.
Commenting on the alleged incident, Govind Parashar, the district head of the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, said, “We want those, who had violated the Supreme Court orders, to be punished, otherwise, we should be allowed to perform aarti.”The ASI had claimed that it was following an earlier Supreme Court directive.
Meanwhile, photos appeared Saturday on social media, purportedly showing three women entering the Taj Mahal carrying ‘Ganga jal’ and chanting “Om Namah Shivaya”.
-Shikha Sandhir
