What happened
The Allahabad High Court has issued notices to the Union government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on a plea challenging a trial court order that refused to allow a survey of the Taj Mahal. The high court’s notices have moved the legal dispute forward over the monument’s historical identity and official status.
Background and earlier position
Claims questioning the Taj Mahal’s identity have circulated for years. The named claims in the dispute include earlier assertions by P.N. Oak and later petitioners, including a 2022 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party leader. Historians have long rejected these claims.
The Archaeological Survey of India stated in 2017 that the Taj Mahal is a 17th-century tomb built with techniques such as pietra dura that were not available in pre-medieval times.
What changed now
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