A screengrab from the viral video.
Credit: X/@Rajawat_1986
A man claiming to be a Karni Sena worker offered "Gangajal" on the grave of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal at Agra's Taj Mahal. The incident has triggered a row over the security arrangements at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A video of the incident has also gone viral on social media.
Gaurav Singh Chauhan, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar has posted a video on his Facebook account claiming that he sprinkled Gangajal on the Mughals' graves.
In the video, Chauhan can be seen carrying a plastic bottle with him inside the monument. After sprinkling the Gangajal, he gestured thumbs up and said "Har Har Mahadev".
Chauhan also claimed that the Taj Mahal used to be a temple, 'Tejo Mahalaya', dedicated to Lord Shiva, which was destroyed by the Mughals. He also vowed to built a temple at the same place.
According to several media reports, the incident has prompted the Archaeological Department (ASI) and security agencies to investigate the matter. “We are reviewing CCTV footage and security protocols. Such an incident should not have happened," an official was quoted by media outlets as saying on the condition of anonymity.
Karni Sena, on the other hand, has distanced itself saying that it doesn't endorse such acts, a report by News 18 said.
Such incidents are not new at the historical place.
In August last year, police arrested two youths from the Taj Mahal premises after they were seen pouring water from a bottle there. A local right-wing Hindu outfit claimed that the two were its members and had offered holy 'Gangajal' as they believe the monument is a Hindu temple.
A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (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).