2 right-wing men arrested for pouring Ganga water at Taj ‘s main mausoleum in Agra | Agra News

AGRA: Two members of a right-wing organisation were arrested for allegedly pouring Ganga water at the main mausoleum of the Taj Mahal in Agra on Saturday during the month of Sawan. The men claimed that they offered the holy water because they believed the “Taj Mahal was originally a Shiva temple“.
Shyambabu Singh and Vinesh Chaudhary, associated with the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM), were taken into custody by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) after being caught pouring water at the Unesco World Heritage site.They were later handed over to the police and arrested, with an FIR registered against them at the Tajganj police station.
Sources said the duo entered the Taj premises after purchasing tickets as tourists, which allowed them to bring in water bottles. A video clip of the purported incident circulating on social media showed one of the men pouring water from a plastic bottle on the locked doors leading to the Taj’s basement, which has the graves of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his queen Mumtaz Mahal.
Agra (City) DCP Suraj Rai said, “The CISF, which oversees the security of the Taj Mahal, informed the local police that two men seen pouring water from a plastic bottle on the premises were taken into custody. Based on the complaint received, the two men, residents of Mathura district, have been arrested. An FIR has been registered against them under BNS sections 223 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant), 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship), and 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings). The matter is being investigated in detail,” he added.
Efforts to have the Taj Mahal renamed have been ongoing, with occasional attempts to conduct aarti or pujas with prayers. A court case is currently in progress locally, seeking permission for such religious rituals at the site.