ASI rejects CISF proposal
Vijay Upadhyay Agra. It may come as a pleasant surprise for history-lovers who have been worried over the undue "protective" attitude adopted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) towards the Taj Mahal and other historical monuments of Agra. Less than a year after theoretically agreeing to the prospects of cordoning off sections of the Taj, to prevent tourists from entering these areas, the ASI has surprisingly rejected the CISF proposal to close the entrance to the fake graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal inside the main dome of the monument, though the real graves shall remain out of bounds for common tourists. But realising the increased security threat to the monument in view of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the ASI has permitted the CISF to increase its personnel strength inside the monument by 96, making the total CISF personnel strength posted at the Taj cross the 200 mark. Also, the police and other security agencies' presence in