Four youths arrested for waving saffron flags inside Taj Mahal

Four youths were arrested on Monday after they allegedly waved saffron flags inside the Taj Mahal premises and chanted Shiv Chalisa. The youths belonged to the Hindu Jagran Manch, a body linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

According to Inspector Umesh Chandra Tripathi of Tajganj police station, the youths have been identified as the organisation’s district President Gaurav Thakur, Rishi Lavania, Sonu Baghel and Vishesh Kumar.

The video of the men waving saffron flags went viral on social media. The viral video shows three of the group’s members holding up saffron flags and facing a camera while another person records the video.

The incident is seen as a security breach since no religious or promotional activities are allowed inside the premises.

The local police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) handle the mausoleum’s security.

CISF Commandant Rahul Yadav said that the men filmed the video to get more followers on YouTube. Visitors were not being checked physically due to COVID-19, which is why the youths could enter the Taj Mahal with saffron flags.

The security personnel used metal detectors for frisking visitors, but small cloth pieces couldn’t be detected. Since selfie sticks are allowed, the four people used it for hoisting these saffron flags.

Following the CISF’s complaint, a case has been filed against them under Section 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

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