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Published 12:41 IST, January 5th 2021

Fringe group unfurls Saffron flags outside Taj Mahal; 4 booked for 'promoting enmity'

Four persons belonging to a right-wing outfit were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Agra for waving saffron flags in front of the monument Taj Mahal on Monday

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
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Four persons belonging to a right-wing fringe outfit were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Agra for waving saffron flags in front of the Taj Mahal on Monday. In the video of the incident that went viral on social media, the four persons are seen unfurling saffron flags while sitting in front of the Taj Mahal. The four persons were handed over to the police after being apprehended by the CISF personnel deployed at the spot. 

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Tajganj police station Inspector Umesh Chandra Tripathi said three people waved flags at the Taj Mahal complex under the leadership of right-wing leader Gaurav Thakur. The persons reportedly belonged to the outfit Hindu Jagran Manch - the same group that hoisted the saffron flag inside Taj Mahal last year. The four persons were booked under section 153 A (Promoting enmity between two groups on grounds of religion) of IPC and section 7 in the Criminal Law Amendment Act at Tajganj police station on a complaint by the CISF.

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Saffron flag atop masjid sparks tensions in MP

As per reports, alleged workers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised a march to collect funds for Ram Temple. While the procession was crossing a Muslim majority area in Dorana village in Mandsaur district, some miscreants climbed atop a mosque and vandalised the structure and urfurled a saffron flag, as per MP Police. They shot the video of the incident and circulated it on social media. Later, in Chandankhedi village in Indore, at least eight people were injured due to stone pelting on members participating ”jan jagran rally” by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Prohibitory orders have been invoked and Police has booked nearly 100 people in the two districts.

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Slamming the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government after a mosque was vandalised and the saffron flag was unfurled on it in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has asked why no one is condemning the act and what is the BJP government doing about it. Communal tensions have flared up in Madhya Pradesh, after a group climbed atop a mosque in Dorana village, and put a saffron flag on the structure. On the same day in Indore, at least eight people were injured during stone-pelting as Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised ”jan jagran rally”. Earlier on December 25, a stone-pelting incident happened in another rally in Ujjain’s Begumbagh. 

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12:41 IST, January 5th 2021