The Supreme Court of India on Monday upheld the Uttar Pradesh district administration’s order prohibiting outsiders from offering namaz inside the Taj Mahal premises. The apex court allowed only residents of Agra to offer prayer inside the historical venue.
A division bench headed by Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri said that there should not be any loophole in the security. Since it is a protected area, outsiders should not be allowed to enter the premises for offering namaz.
On January 24 this year, the Uttar Pradesh district administration prohibited outsiders from offering prayers at the historical site. Following which the president of Taj Mahal Masjid Management Committee, Syed Ibrahim Hussain Zaidi, filed a petition in the apex court to lift the ban saying such an order was arbitrary and illegal.
