Two arrested for pouring 'gangajal' at Taj Mahal

LUCKNOW: Two activists from the All India Hindu Mahasabha were reportedly arrested after getting into the Taj Mahal with bottles of ‘Gangajal’.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) arrested the individuals, identified as Vinesh and Shyam, who were later handed over to the police for attempting to perform a ritual during the month of Sawan – a holy month in Hindu religion.

The arrest was made after the video of the incident, which shows the two individuals pouring water from a plastic bottle at the doors of the cellar within the main tomb, where the graves of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal are located, has gone viral on social media.

The men had purchased tickets to enter the Taj Mahal before carrying out their actions.

The right-wing groups have long declared that the Taj Mahal is not a mausoleum but rather a Shiva Temple called ‘Tejo Mahalay.’

This belief has spurred several similar incidents in recent times.

Earlier on July 29, a member of a right-wing group attempted to enter the Taj Mahal carrying a ‘kanwar’ (a pole used to carry water) to offer ‘Gangajal,’ claiming the monument was a Shiva temple.

However, she was stopped by police at the west gate barrier of the Taj Mahal and later decided to offer the ‘Gangajal’ at the Rajeshwar temple instead.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered against Vinesh and Shyam at the Tajganj police station.

Meenu Rathore, who claims to be the district president of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha in Agra, has continued to insist that the police allow the ritual offerings at the Taj Mahal, asserting that Lord Shiva appeared in her dreams, asking her to perform the ritual at the monument.