New Delhi:
While listening to a plea demanding to open over 20 sealed doors of the Taj Mahal, the Varanasi court on Thursday chided the petitioner as he wanted to conduct a research and find out if the monument was built on ‘Tejo Mahalaya’ (Temple of Lord Shiva).
Reacting to the plea filed by Dr Rajneesh Singh, who is the media in charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Ayodhya unit, the lower court said such debates are meant for drawing room, not for a court of law, reported LiveLaw.
The court said, “Tomorrow you’ll come and ask us to go to the chambers of Hon’ble judges of this court?”
It further said, “You hold that the structure (Taj Mahal) was not made by Shah Jahan? Are we here to pronounce any verdict? Please don’t take us to the historical facts which you believe.”
However, it is not the first time when the court has given such slamming replies to the petitioners. In fact, the Supreme Court of India has lectured petitioners many times over the past that too in the regards of Taj Mahal.
Earlier in 2018, the apex court asked the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board to produce legal documents verifying that Taj Mahal is a waqf property. It further asserted that the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan must have signed the ‘Waqafnama’ (a deed that expresses a person’s intention of donating a property or land for charitable purposes or waqf).
“Show us the signature,” said the then CJI Dipak Misra.
Again in 2018, the Supreme Court had slammed the BJP- led Centre and UP government along with other authorities while concerning over the protection of the Mughal-era monument Taj Mahal from pollution.
The apex court showed disappointment in both the governments for failing to put sincere efforts towards preserving the World Heritage, Taj Mahal.
“You can shut down the Taj. You can demolish it if you like, and you can also do away with it if you have already decided,” said the bench.
Meanwhile, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) told the Supreme Court that body of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taj Mahal, getting infested by water-borne insects due to the Yamuna river.
As the top court asked how did it reach there, the ASI said, “It flew there.”
To which, the Supreme Court remarked, “Can algae fly.”
Going a little earlier in time, 2017, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court for cutting down over 400 trees to lay down a railway track that will connect Mathura in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.
After which a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked the petitioners to observed the beauty of Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan in memory of his dead wife, Mumtaz, in harsh words.
“This (Taj Mahal) is a world famous monument and you (government) want to destroy it? Have you seen the recent pictures of Taj? Go to the internet and have a look at it,” said the bench.
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