This is not the first case of its kind. Several videos of people dancing inside the mosque went viral in the past. The mosque representatives say that such acts are disrespectful. Some Twitter users were also outraged by the footage, denouncing the dancing as “vulgar.”
The mosque committee was angered by such blatant signs of disrespect and responded by issuing a ban on tourists entering the holy site. Only those tourists who want to pray in the mosque would be allowed in.
Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid told the Indian Express that since Friday, announcements over ban on TikTok are made on loudspeakers every 10 minutes. Moreover, a 10-member team has been tasked to catch and remove from Masjid premises anyone seen making videos or disrespecting the sanctity of the place.
“During prayer time, that is five times a day, Namazis (worshippers) and non-namazis can access the two small domes only through the main dome route. We want to restrict the area occupied by people, so we can keep a watch on youngsters making such videos as music is not allowed inside a masjid,” said Bukhari.
Bukhari said that he knows about the TikTok craze but only recently came across videos shot in Jama Masjid. He said whether it is a Mosque, Church, Temple or Gurdwara, such behavior cannot be tolerated.