Hindu Mahasabha leader performs 'Jal Abhishekam' near Taj Mahal claiming it as Shiva temple, arrested

NEW DELHI: Police on Sunday arrested Pawan Baba, a local leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, who performed 'jala abhishekam' on the banks of Yamuna near the Taj Mahal claiming that the historic site was formerly a Shiva temple.

The leader performed the abhishekam on the river in conjunction with the Shivratri festival. It is reported that the staff of the Archaeological Survey of India, who were present at the spot, caught him and handed him over to the police. The video of ‘Jalabhisheka’ was also circulated on social media.

Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha spokesperson Sanjay Jat said that the ceremony was conducted peacefully and called it their fundamental right to do so.

"Historically, the struggle is against injustice. We were protesting against the myth that the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum. It is a Shiva temple, so on every Maha Shivaratri, the All India Hindu Mahasabha prays at the Taj Mahal with the strong belief that it was an erstwhile Shiva temple. This year Pawan Baba from Vrindavan offered prayers, lit Jyoti and performed Shiva dance as part of the ritual.” Sanjay Jat vowed not to succumb to the pressure and said he would fight by all means to prove that the Taj Mahal was indeed formerly a Shiva temple.