ASI to probe viral video of man offering namaz on ‘Taj premises’

AGRA: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will carry out a probe into the authenticity of a video, which went viral on Sunday (November 20), purportedly showing a man performing ‘namaz’ with a woman sitting along side in garden area said to be of Taj Mahal premises.

“We have come across a purported video going viral wherein a man is seen offering namaz in the area said to be the premises of the Taj Mahal.

However, there is no certainity about the authenticity of the video particularly because none of our staff at Taj Mahal saw such happening. I was also present on Taj Mahal premises on Sunday but came across no such incident,” said Raj Kumar

Patel, the superintending archaeologist for Agra circle of ASI.

“Yet we are probing the matter as there is prohibition on offering ‘namaz’ on the Taj premises and it is only on Masjid premises within the Taj Mahal compound where ‘namaz’ is offered every Friday that too by locals around Taj Mahal allocated passes,” the ASI official added.

“We are also strengthening our security check especially on days when visitor turnout is much more than routine to avert such happenings on Taj Mahal premises” he added.

Right wing Hindu activists have been protesting against such incidents as they claim that the Taj Mahal was originally a Shiv temple called Tejo Mahalaya.