Four people arrested for offering namaz on Taj Mahal premises

They were booked under Section 153 of IPC for `provoking with intent to cause riots.`

Police arrested four people on Thursday for offering namaz at the Shahi mosque on the Taj Mahal premises. The arrested people were booked under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for ‘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 the section of 153 of IPC. They have been presented in the court,” said Vikas Kumar, Superintendent of Police (City).

According to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), offering namaz in the premises of the Taj Mahal is prohibited on all days except Friday, by a Supreme Court order. Even on Fridays, only residents of the Tajganj locality are allowed to offer namaz between 12pm and 2pm.

“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.