A petition was filed in the court claiming Taj Mahal as a Hindu temple.
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Currently, only Muslims are allowed to worship at the site, offering Friday prayers at a mosque attached to the Taj Mahal.
Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma told the parliament that government had not found any evidence to support the claim.
When asked about writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards, Sharma said that they are protesting the “mishappenings” meted out to them.
A 17C mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan after his own wife’s passing, the Taj Mahal, brings about 12,000 visitors a day. He said its name is a corrupt form of the sanskrit term “Tejo Mahalay”, signifying a Shiva Temple.
The lawsuit follows comments from a politician in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing party who claimed the Taj Mahal was part of an ancient temple.
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While acknowledging that the government is aware of the suit, Sharma replied in negative when asked for evidence of Taj Mahal being a Hindu temple. The Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts millions of foreign and India tourists every year. He also said that so far government has not observed any affect on tourism because of the controversy.
