Tourists carrying religious flags clash with Agra Fort staff

Visitors are banned from carrying any religious and commercial symbols to historical monuments in Agra, including the Taj Mahal, by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Several foreign tourists were seen capturing the incident on camera at the Agra Fort (File)

By Siraj Qureshi: A group of tourists from Maharashtra tried to carry flags with religious symbols to the historic Agra Fort on Wednesday and created a ruckus when they were stopped by the staff of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The situation grew tense following a scuffle between the two sides.

The ASI has banned visitors from carrying any religious and commercial symbols to historical monuments in Agra, including the Taj Mahal. However, the ban is often disputed by tourists, resulting in unpleasant situations.

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The group of around 30 tourists, reportedly affiliated to a political party, began raising religious slogans after clashing with the staff. Other tourists were stopped from entering the fort for some time. Several foreign tourists were seen capturing the incident on camera.

As the situation escalated, the ASI officials called the police and the situation was brought under control.

The staff urged tourists to keep the flags inside the gate and tour the fort comfortably, a senior ASI official told India Today TV, adding that they can take their flags after the tour. But the group wanted to enter with the flags and when stopped, clashed with them.

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