Members of right wing groups detained for chanting shiv chalisa at Taj Mahal

Members of Rashtra Swabhimaan Dal (RSD) and Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) were on Monday detained for chanting 'Shiv Chalisa' on the premises of the Taj Mahal. They were, however, released later after they submitted a written apology, said reports.

The situation could have led to tensions as some right wing groups claim that the Taj Mahal was originally a Shiva temple.

Several BJP leaders have in the past gone on to state that the Taj Mahal was in reality a temple. A petition in the Supreme Court had sought to declare the Taj as a temple, but it was struck down.

Historian P N Oak had written a book, Taj Mahal a true story, in which he argues that it was a hindu temple. Some believe that the term Taj Mahal is a corrupt form of the sanskrit term Tejo Mahalay.

Last week, BJP MLA Sangeet Som had stirred a controversy by saying that the Taj Mahal was built by traitors and that it was blot on Indian history.

Currently, only Muslims are allowed to worship at the site, offering Friday prayers at a mosque attached to the Taj Mahal.

OneIndia News