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Four held for offering namaz on Taj Mahal premises, ASI cites SC order
Taj Mahal: The ASI said offering of the namaz inside the premises is prohibited on all days except Friday, according to a Supreme Court order. However, some said there was no such rule prevalent even till a few days back.
Four men were arrested on Thursday for offering 'namaz' at the Shahi mosque on the Taj Mahal premises in Agra a day ago. Police said those arrested – three of them from Hyderabad and one from Azamgarh – were booked under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for provoking with intent to cause riots.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) said offering of the namaz inside the premises of the UNESCO-protected world heritage site is prohibited on all days except Friday, according to a Supreme Court order.
Superintending archaeologist of the ASI, Agra Circle, Raj Kumar Patel, said even on Fridays only residents of the Tajganj locality - where the mausoleum is located - are allowed to pray between 12pm and 2pm, according to a Supreme Court order.
Police said the four tourists were arrested for offering namaz at the mosque on the Taj Mahal. "Three of them are from Hyderabad and one is from Azamgarh. They have been booked under the section of 153 of IPC. They have been presented in the court," said Vikas Kumar, superintendent of police (City), was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
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The four men were spotted offering namaz at the Shahi mosque around 5pm on Wednesday evening.
A PTI report said they were accosted by officials from the ASI and CISF and handed over to the local police.
The report quoted some people as saying that prohibition on offering of namaz inside the Taj mosque was unheard of till a few days ago.
"Namaz has been offered at the mosque of the Taj Mahal regularly. But some days ago the ASI cited a Supreme Court order barring offering of the namaz on the mosque premises except Friday,” said Ibrahim Zaidi, the head of the Intezamia Committee at Taj Mahal.
Zaidi said the committee has asked the ASI to give the prohibition in writing with proof and also display a board announcing the prohibition to the tourists.
Vinod Dixit, a tourist guide from Lucknow, who accompanied the tourists, said those arrested had no idea they were committing a crime. "They had no idea that they cannot offer namaz. They did it by mistake. There was no notice board saying that it is prohibited,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
