Archaeological body denies Akhilesh Yadav's claim of poor maintenance at Taj Mahal

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) refuted claims by Akhilesh Yadav regarding poor maintenance of the Taj Mahal, clarifying that the alleged damage to the main dome is false.

In Short

• Akhilesh Yadav shared video of a plant on dome, warning of cracks
• Agra ASI Chief clarified plant was on outer structure, now cleared
• Taj Mahal undergoes regular audits, Agra ASI chief said

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has dismissed claims made by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav regarding the poor upkeep of the Taj Mahal.

On September 19, Yadav criticised the Yogi Adityanath government, stating that the monument should be a “living and active” symbol, not merely a "monument," and shared a video of a plant growing from the Taj Mahal's dome, warning of potential cracks.

In response, Agra ASI Chief Rajkumar Patel refuted Yadav’s claims, stating the alleged damage to the main dome is false. He clarified that while some water seeped into the structure during rain, the issue was swiftly resolved, and the plant growth was on an outer structure, not the main dome, and has since been cleared.

Patel also confirmed no reports of monkey attacks on tourists in the past year and assured that recent rains only caused waterlogging in the garden areas, which was properly managed.

The ASI Chief emphasised that the Taj Mahal undergoes regular maintenance audits, and no objections have been raised in any recent reviews.

He also added that the recent rains were not responsible for water logging inside the premises of Taj Mahal but only in the garden areas. The water was allowed to flow directly into the recharge pit and wells and had percolated right into the groundwater system.