Demolish parking space around Taj Mahal, orders SC

The youth were taken away by CISF personnel and released after they submitted a written apology

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stepped in to protect the world heritage monument Taj Mahal in Agra by ordering the demolition of parking lot surrounding it in four weeks to protect the environment from pollution. A Bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta passed this order on an application alleging that the UP government had not obtained necessary environmental clearances.

Members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini and the Rashtra Swabhimaan Dal will be filing public interest litigation in the Supreme Court soon to seek permission for Hindus to recite the Shiva Chalisa in the Taj Mahal.

A group of youngsters led by Yuva Vahini activists, on Monday, were found reciting the Shiv Chalisa on the lawns of the Taj Mahal. The CISF personnel stopped the youth and took them away. The youth were later made to submit an apology and were let off with a warning.

Incidentally, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath is now scheduled to visit Agra and the Taj Mahal, in particular, later this week to inspect the progress of developmental projects.

Talking to reporters, Bharat Goswami, the Aligarh city president of Hindu Yuva Vahini, who led the youngsters into the Taj Mahal on Monday, said that Hindus should be allowed to pray at the Taj Mahal just like Muslims

had been allowed to offer prayers every Friday.

“Monday is the day of Lord Shiva and his devotees observe fast on this day. It is only proper that Shiva Chalisa should also be recited on this day and there was nothing wrong in our doing so”, he said.

Deepak Sharma, who belongs to the Rashtra Swabhimaan Dal, said that they had later submitted an apology because the CISDF men told them that reciting Shiva Chalisa was in violation of the Supreme Court orders.

“We had no intention of defying the apex court and we will now file a petition in the Supreme Court to seek permission for Hindus to recite the Shiva Chalisa at the Taj Mahal on Mondays. There should be no problem in this because Muslims are already allowed to offer ‘namaz’ on Fridays,” he said.