Agra, March 12: Three Hindu Mahasabha activists, including a woman, were arrested while trying to offer prayers on Taj Mahal premises. They were caught by CISF personnel and handed over to local police, which booked them under IPC section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground religion, etc) at Tajganj police station.

The three activists, Meena Diwakar, provincial chief of the organisation, district in-charge Jitendra Kushwaha and one Vishal Singh entered the monument's premises and offered water, which they carried in a bottle, to Lord Sun near a central tank. On the occasion of Maha Shivratri on Thursday. Bomb Scare at Taj Mahal in Agra: Iconic Monument Shut Temporarily, Tourists Evacuated.

They were caught by CISF personnel when they were going to offer prayers before the main mausoleum. Later, Hindu Mahasabha activists staged a protest outside the police station and demanded their release.

Tajganj police station in-charge Umesh Tripathi said that Kushwaha and Vishal have been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Diwakar was issued a notice as she fell ill and was taken to S.N. Medical college for treatment.

This was the second such incident in the last three years. In November 2018, a group of women activists performed puja in the mosque, located on the Taj Mahal premises. The organisation claims that Taj Mahal was originally a Shiva temple and was called Tejo Mahalaya.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2021 11:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).