News Mania Desk/ Piyal Chatterjee / 15th September 2024
Asaduddin Owaisi, the head of AIMIM, attacked the Archaeological Survey of India by posting a video that appeared to show water leaking from the Taj Mahal’s main dome. Owaisi criticized the ASI after the video went viral this week, claiming that, “earns hundreds of crore from Taj Mahal but this is how it treats one of the biggest symbols of Indian culture.”
Following intense rains on Thursday, a rumored 20-second video of a submerged garden on the Taj Mahal grounds has been making the rounds on social media. The Taj Mahal is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and has been experiencing nonstop rain for the past three days. As a result, most areas of the city have water logging issues.
Rajkumar Patel, the Superintending Chief of the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) Agra circle, said news agency PTI on Saturday that the main dome has been inspected using a drone camera.
In the midst of the ongoing dispute over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Owaisi made his comments. The Waqf Board has the authority to designate any building or property as Waqf property in the name of a charity under the previous Waqf Act of 1995.
Reportedly, the Waqf Board has utilized this power to issue notifications designating safeguarded landmarks as Waqf holdings, leading to disputes with the entitlements bestowed by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958. The Waqf Board Amendment Bill has been consistently opposed by opposition parties at Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meetings, causing controversy and spirited discussions.
In the JPC-led discussion on concerns pertaining to Waqf in protected monuments and sites, the Archaeological Survey of India presented a thorough report and explained why the Waqf Board Amendment Bill is required, according to sources who spoke with news agency ANI. Additionally, they described the issues they are having.
