The storm around one of India's most famous monuments is intensifying. Days after a petition on the Taj Mahal was filed in the Allahabad High Court, a BJP MP has made a big claim.
Diya Kumari said that the land on which the Taj Mahal is built was originally owned by the erstwhile Jaipur royal family. She claimed that Shah Jahan had acquired the land in exchange for some compensation, but the Jaipur royals couldn't challenge the Mughal emperor's decision.
Kumari said, "It's good that someone has raised their voice and filed a petition. If documents are needed in the proceedings, we can provide them if the court orders."
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When asked whether the Taj Mahal should be demolished, she said, "I wouldn't say that. But there should be an inquiry regarding the parts of Taj Mahal which are sealed. They should be opened to check what's there."
On May 4, another BJP leader Rajneesh Singh, had filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court. The petition sought instructions to the Archaeological Survey of India, or ASI, to open 20 locked rooms in the Taj Mahal.
The petition said that there is speculation that the locked rooms house idols of Hindu gods, and Hindu scriptures.