The apex court had in December 2022 refused to entertain the plea, saying PILs were not meant for seeking a “fishing inquiry” and that courts were not there to reopen history.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to decide on a representation by a petitioner seeking an investigation into the origins of the Taj Mahal. The court issued the direction while disposing of a PIL plea seeking the removal of “wrong historical facts” regarding the construction of the structure by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
According to the plea filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, president of ‘Hindu Sena’, the 17th-century monument was originally the mansion of Raja Man Singh, which was subsequently refurbished by the Mughal emperor.
The court noted that Mr. Yadav had filed a similar plea before the Supreme Court, which had allowed him to withdraw it after he proposed to give a representation to the ASI. The apex court had in December 2022 refused to entertain the plea, saying PILs were not meant for seeking a “fishing inquiry” and that courts were not there to reopen history.
On Friday, Mr. Yadav told the High Court that he had submitted a representation before the ASI but had not received any response. The court then asked the ASI to look into his claim and take a decision on the representation.
In his plea, the Hindu Sena president has claimed that various official chroniclers of Shah Jahan have remained silent over the name of the architect of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. “It is extremely strange that all the court chroniclers of King Shah Jahan have not mentioned the name of the architect of his magnificent mausoleum. This clearly indicates that the mansion of Raja Man Singh was not demolished but only modified and renovated to create the current look of the Taj Mahal,” the plea said.