Subramanian Swamy claims Taj Mahal was built on stolen property

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday said that he has accessed documents which suggest that the iconic Taj Mahal was built on a property stolen by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan from Jaipur's royalty.

"There is evidence on record that Shah Jahan forced the Raja-Maharajas of Jaipur to sell the land on which Taj Mahal is standing, and he gave them a compensation of forty villages, which is nothing compared to the property's value," Swamy told ANI, quotes the Indian Express.

“We have decided that of all the temples demolished, during the Islamic period, we want only three, which are Ayodhya’s Ram, Krishna’s Mathura and Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi. These three, once they are restored, we won’t be concerned about the remaining forty thousand,” Swamy said.

The 78-year-old politician also said that he would release copies of the evidence soon.

Earlier this week, BJP MLA Sangeet Som had courted controversy after he called Taj Mahal "a blot on Indian culture".