The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists are said to allegedly vandalise an entrance gate at Taj Mahal, in Agra, Uttar Pradesh (UP) as per media reports. A group of 20 to 30 VHP workers are said to have visited the World Heritage Site, on Sunday, and then uproot the gate situated on the western side of the Taj Mahal.

As per a Hindustan Times report, the VHP activists had staged a protest at the Taj Mahal and also removed a part of the gate. The activists protesting at the site stated that it (the gate) blocked the path to a 400-year-old temple. A case has been registered against 30 people after Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official had lodged a complaint with the police.

Senior office-bearer of the VHP said that the gate blocked the passage to the nearby 400-year-old Siddheshwar Mahadev temple. The temple has been in existence much before Taj Mahal came into place. He said that there was no logic in blocking the pathway; also, the ASI officials didn’t pay heed to their requests.

As per a National Herald report, the VHP workers were furious because of the blockage of the route to Siddeshwar temple under the garb of security of Taj Mahal. The tourists who were present at Taj Mahal, on Sunday, were taken by surprise with the sudden protests at the site.

Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has been a point of contention in politics for quite some time. Last year, UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s visit to the site had grabbed uninvited attention too.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 12, 2018 07:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).