On Saturday, a petition was filed with the Allahabad High Court seeking a fact-finding investigation into the Taj Mahal’s “history.” It also sought to open the doors of its “22 rooms” to see “the truth, whatever it is”. The Taj Mahal is a Mughal-era structure that is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Rajneesh Singh, the media coordinator for the BJP’s Ayodhya unit, filed the petition. On Saturday, he filed the writ petition in the registry of the Lucknow bench of the High Court. Before coming up to the court for a hearing, the petition after has been passed by the registry.
Mr Singh had filed the petition through his lawyers, Ram Prakash Shukla and Rudra Vikram Singh. Many right-wing groups believe and claimed that the Taj Mahal was a Lord Shiva Temple.
While speaking with the Press Trust of India (PTI) on Sunday, Singh said, “In the petition, I have demanded that the 22 doors of rooms of the monument which are closed should be opened to see the truth, whatever it is.”
According to the petition it has sought to set aside a few provisions of The Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Declaration of National Importance) Act 1951. Moreover, it seeks to set aside a few provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958, under which the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, and Itimad-ud-Daulah’s tomb were declared historical monuments.
References: NDTV
Featured image source: Travel + Leisure
