Bharatiya Janata Party MP and former Jaipur princess Diya Kumari claims that the land on which the Taj Mahal was originally built belongs to her family. Diya Kumari asserts that she has archives that show the Jaipur royal family’s declaration of land.
Dia Kumari’s statement came after a petition was filed in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court asking the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to examine the 22 locked rooms of the Taj Mahal to check the presence of Hindu idols.
Speaking in support of the petition, BJP chief Diya Kumari said, “There must be an inquiry into what was there before the monument was built. People should be aware of what was there in the beginning before the ‘Maqbara’.”
She informed that the Jaipur family has the file available and will provide it if required.
Diya Kumari claimed that the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan had usurped the land owned by her family.
“Once compensation was paid in lieu of land, but how big a deal it was, whether it was daily or not, I cannot say because I have not studied the files that are there. Our ‘pothikhana’. But the land belonged to our family and Shah Jahan got it,” said Diya Kumari, “Since there was no judicial system, no magic should have been done at that time. A perusal of the records will clarify the matter.”
Asked if a petition would be filed in the court by the former royal family of Jaipur, BJP MP Diya Kumari said they are now looking into it and will check what steps will be taken.
Notably, Diya Kumari, who is a member of the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur, has so far claimed that her family is descended from Lord Rama’s son. She said she was keen to provide proof of his family lineage to the Supreme Court, hoping it would help speed up the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
