HC reprimands petitioner who sought opening Taj Mahal's locked rooms

Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court dismissed a plea that sought to open "22 locked rooms" inside the Taj Mahal to ascertain whether the Hindu idols and scripture were hidden there as per claims. The Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC reprimanded the petitioner, saying that the petitioner might want to see the judges' chambers next. It added that the public interest litigation system (PIL) must not be mocked.

The bench of Justices DK Upadhyay and Subhash Vidyarthi that the petitioner failed to state which of his legal or constitutional rights were being infringed, saying that the court cannot pass an order under Article 226 of the Constitution on the matter. The article empowers high courts to issue orders to any person or authority under its jurisdiction to enforce the fundamental rights.

Though the petitioner requested the court to withdraw the petition a file a fresh one, the court declined and dismissed the petition.

Petitioner Rajneesh Singh moved a writ petition at the Allahabad court on Saturday seeking a fact-finding inquiry into the history of the Taj Mahal. This was based on claims that Hindu idols and scriptures are hidden in those locked rooms. There were more claims that the Taj Mahal, currently under the protection of archaeology survey of India, was a Lord Shiva temple.

Rajneesh's petition had also sought the setting aside of certain provisions of The Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Declaration of National Importance) Act 1951 and The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958, under which the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, Itimad-ud-Daulah's tomb were declared historical monuments.