Four tourists booked for offering namaz at Taj mosque

The four men were spotted offering namaz at the Shahi mosque at about 5 pm on Wednesday evening. They were accosted by the officials from the Archaeological Survey of India and CISF and were handed over to the local police.

Agra (Uttar Pradesh): Four people were arrested for offering 'namaz' at the Shahi mosque in the Taj Mahal premises, police said on Thursday. The four were booked under section 153 of the IPC which punishes 'provoking with intent to cause riots'.

"Four tourists were arrested for offering namaz at the mosque in Taj Mahal premises on Wednesday. Three of them are from Hyderabad and one is from Azamgarh. They have been booked under section 153 of IPC. They have been presented in the court," said Vikas Kumar, Superintendent of Police (City).

Superintending archaeologist, ASI, Agra Circle Raj Kumar Patel said that there is a Supreme Court order that prohibits the offering of namaz inside Taj premises on all days except Friday. He added that even on Friday only the residents of Tajganj locality - where the mausoleum is located - are allowed to pray between 12 pm and 2 pm.

The four men were spotted offering namaz at the Shahi mosque at about 5 pm on Wednesday evening. They were accosted by the officials from the Archaeological Survey of India and CISF and were handed over to the local police. According to some, prohibition on offering namaz inside the Taj mosque was unheard of till a few days back.

"Namaz has been offered at the mosque of the Taj Mahal regularly. But some days ago the Archaeological Survey of India claimed that as per the order of the Supreme Court of India offering Namaz is prohibited in the mosque premises except Friday," said Ibrahim Zaidi, the head of the Intezamia Committee at Taj Mahal.

Zaidi further 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.

Vinay Kumar Dixit, a resident of Lucknow, who visited the monument with the arrested youths, told that he had come to Agra with three youths from Hyderabad and one from Azamgarh. In the evening, when it was time for Namaz, they had reached the Shahi Masjid located in the Taj Mahal complex to offer their prayers.

Dixit added that the moment they finished offering their prayers, the CISF personnel took all four of them into custody and they were interrogated for several hours, after which they were handed over to the Tajganj police station.