A man is alleged to have sprinkled gangajal on the premises of the iconic Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, raising security concerns at the UNESCO-protected heritage site.

Gaurav Singh Chauhan, hailing from Muzzafarnagar district, claims to be a member of the Hindutva group Karni Sena. In a video circulated on social media platforms, Chauhan says he sprinkled gangajal on the graves of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and empress Mumtaz Mahal.

The video shows Chauhan entering the iconic Taj Mahal with a plastic bottle, sprinkling water and gestures with a thumbs-up chanting, ‘Har Har Mahadev.’ He goes on to say that a Shiva temple named ‘Tejo Mahalaya’ existed before the architectural monument.

“Yeh Shivji bhagwaan ka mandir tha. Sab Hindu bhaiyo ekta banao, aur awaaz uthao. Yeh Shah Jahan ke vansh ab bhi yehi tike hue hai, jinhone hamare Hinduo pe atchyachaar kare, hamari behn-betiyo per atyachaar kiya. Hinduo ko kaata-pita, bahut buri haalat kari aur hamne abhi apne desh mein panah de rakhi. Unke (Muslims) ke andar darr banao, bhagao yahan se. Hamein unpe taras nehi khaana chahiye bulkil bhi (This was a temple of Lord Shiva. All Hindu brothers, stay united and raise your voice. The descendants of Shah Jahan are still surviving here, the same ones who committed atrocities on our Hindus, who wronged our sisters and daughters. They killed and tortured Hindus, caused immense suffering, and we are still giving them shelter in our own country. Instil fear in them (Muslims), drive them out from here. We should not have any mercy on them at all),” Chauhan says to the camera.

As the video went viral, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which protects heritage sites across India, initiated a probe. “We are reviewing CCTV footage and security protocols. Such an incident should not have happened,” an ASI official was quoted by media outlets on the condition of anonymity.

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However, Karni Sena has distanced itself from the incident and released a statement that they have nothing to do with Chauhan, News18 reported.

A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 223 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant), 298 (injuring or defiling place of worship), and 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings).

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