Water leakage in main dome of Taj Mahal due to incessant rain in Agra
ASI claims no damage to monument
Agra (PTI): The main dome of the Taj Mahal here witnessed water leakage due to incessant rain for the past three days which inundated a garden on the premises.
The purported video of the submerged garden on the Taj Mahal premises went viral on Thursday and caught the tourists' attention.
However, a senior official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Agra circle, said there is leakage in the main dome due to seepage and there is no damage to it.
Talking about the leakage in the main dome of the Taj Mahal, Rajkumar Patel, Superintending Chief of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Agra circle, told PTI, "Yes, we have witnessed the leakage in the main dome of the Taj Mahal. After that when we checked it was due to seepage and there was no damage to the main dome. We have checked the main dome through a drone camera." On Thursday evening, a purported video of 20 seconds went viral on the internet in which one of the gardens of the monument submerged with rain water. It caught the attention of the tourists, who visited the Taj Mahal and many shot video of it.
A local resident, who is working as a government approved tour guide, said Taj Mahal is the pride of Agra and the entire nation, adding it provides employment to hundreds of locals and those who are working in the tourism industry.
"Proper care should be taken of the monument because for the tourism industry people it is the only hope," said Monika Sharma, a government approved tour guide.
Agra witnessed an incessant rain from the past three days due to which water logging problem could be seen in most of the parts of the city.
One of the National Highways was choked with rain water, crops submerged with rain water and posh localities of the city witnessed water choking due to continuous rain.
The Agra administration has ordered the closure of all schools due to rain.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
