Madhya Pradesh Minister's 'Taj Mahal Was A Temple' Remark Sparks Row

Madhya Pradesh Urban Administration Minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya has triggered a political controversy after claiming that the Taj Mahal was originally a temple that was later converted into a tomb by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

The 69-year-old leader's remark was made during the inauguration of a cricket tournament in Bina town of Sagar district. Vijayvargiya claimed that Mumtaz Mahal was first buried in Burhanpur, and that her body was later shifted to the site where a temple was being constructed, after which the Taj Mahal was built there.

The statement caused a stir among those present at the event, and video clips of the speech were soon widely shared on social media, drawing sharp and polarised reactions.

While Vijayvargiya's supporters on social media have linked his remarks to what they describe as historical interpretations, critics have termed the statement provocative and misleading.

ताजमहल मूल रूप से मंदिर था और मुगल शासक शाहजहां ने उसे मकबरे में तब्दील कराया। मुमताज को पहले बुरहानपुर में दफनाया गया था, लेकिन बाद में जहां मंदिर का निर्माण हो रहा था, उसी स्थान पर शव को दफन कर ताजमहल का निर्माण कराया गया - कैलाश विजयवर्गीय pic.twitter.com/DY8qBVON3l

— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) December 25, 2025

During the same event, Vijayvargiya also made a comment about people from Bihar, saying that it is not necessary for a person from Bihar to be humble, but that BJP National Working President Nitin Nabin has progressed with humility. 

This remark, too, has triggered mixed reactions online, with some viewing it as a casual political comment and others calling it inappropriate and offensive.

The controversy comes just days after Vijayvargiya faced criticism over his remarks following the alleged harassment of two Australian women cricketers in Indore, when he said the players should "learn a lesson" and be more careful about informing local authorities about their movements". Critics felt the comment shifted focus away from policing failures and victim safety.

The Congress has reacted sharply to Vijayvargiya's remarks. 

Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta said BJP ministers were crossing "boundaries" and creating confusion in public discourse. He said such statements reflected internal frustration among leaders who were not being given appropriate roles, and accused them of making irresponsible comments to remain in the spotlight.

Gupta also questioned the BJP's position on Bihar, asking why the party campaigned aggressively in the state and aligned with Nitish Kumar if it held such views about Biharis.

He further mocked the series of controversial statements by BJP leaders, suggesting that a few ministers should write a new history book. 

"One minister says Vasco da Gama did not discover India, another says Mumtaz was buried in Burhanpur, not Agra. They should write their own history book and send it across the world to see what people think," Gupta said.

This is not the first time claims about the Taj Mahal's origins have surfaced in public discourse, but analysts say that when such claims are made by a serving cabinet minister, they gain far greater political and social traction.

Kailash Vijayvargiya has a long history of courting controversy with his public remarks

In recent months, he drew criticism for linking morality to women's clothing, saying he does not like girls who wear "skimpy clothes" and asking young women to come in "proper clothes" for selfies. 

He earlier attacked Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for public displays of affection, calling them "foreign values," and during a Hanuman Jayanti event in 2022 compared women's clothing to mythological characters, triggering outrage. 

He has also made remarks suggesting women should dress "gracefully" to be considered beautiful and that modern behaviour reflects a decline in values, comments that have repeatedly been criticised as sexist, moralising, and intruding into personal freedom.