Bajrang Dal Women Perform 'Aarti' in Taj Mahal to Protest Namaz at Historic Site
A video of the purported aarti being performed went viral on social messaging platforms, forcing the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to launch a probe.
Agra, November 18: Taj Mahal, known worldwide as the monument of love, has been caught in a communal strife with right-wing groups opposing the alleged violation of an ASI order disallowing all namaz barring Friday congregational prayers at the historic site. As a mark of protest, three Bajrang Dal women activists performed 'aarti' at the historic site on Saturday.
A video of the purported aarti being performed went viral on social messaging platforms, forcing the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to launch a probe. Namaz Banned in Taj Mahal Mosque by ASI, Management Says 'Anti-Muslim' Mindset of Govt Behind Order.
Even as they ascertain the content of the video, Rashtriya Bajrang Dal’s women’s wing president Meena Diwakar spoke to reporters on record confirming that she, along with two other activists, performed aarti to "purify" the site whose "sanctity has been ruined due to namaz".
Diwakar further reiterated that the Bajrang Dal considers Taj Mahal to be "Tejo Mahalaya Shiv temple which was allegedly plundered by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to build Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz.
The fresh controversy was stoked after the ASI, citing an earlier Supreme Court order, issued a notification banning namaz at the mosque located inside the Taj Mahal. The notification allows the Muslims to offer only the congregation prayers on Friday.
On Wednesday, a group of Muslims allegedly flouted the order and performed namaz. Reacting to the alleged incident, the Bajrang Dal had threatened to storm its activists inside the mosque and conduct a puja.
"We want those, who had violated the Supreme Court orders, to be punished, otherwise, we should be allowed to perform aarti," Bajrang Dal district unit chief Govind Parashar had said.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 18, 2018 12:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).