The Agra Police arrested 11 persons on Wednesday for allegedly hoisting saffron flags atop the Diwan ji ki Begum Shahi masjid, a Mughal-era mosque in the Tajganj area, during a religious procession, reported The Indian Express.
“About 1,000-1,500 people with sticks forcefully entered the mosque and raised objectionable slogans,” said the police complaint by Zahir Uddin, the mosque’s caretaker. “They created chaos in the mosque and hoisted saffron flags on the mosque’s minarets, walls and inner premises.”
The incident took place on Monday, the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a ceremony to inaugurate the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Videos of the incident on social media show a group of men rejoicing as they scale the mosque with saffron flags in hand.
The detained persons have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity).
The mosque was built in 1677 and commissioned by Diwanji Begum, the mother of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s spouse Mumtaz Mahal, reported The Quint. It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey.
“Everyday we are identifying more and more people from the videos and making arrests. So far, we have arrested 12 individuals,” Station House Officer Tajganj Jasveer Singh told The Quint. “The complainant has said 1,000 to 1,500 people, but as per videos it seems like roughly 100 people were part of the mob.”
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