Over a dozen United Hindu Front (UHF) activists who were chanting Hanuman Chalisa at the Qutab Minar were detained by the Delhi Police in the national capital on Tuesday.

Amidst the ongoing loudspeaker row, the Hindu Organisation — United Hindu Front — had announced to recite Hanuman Chalisa on the premises of the minaret today along with other Hindu groups.

In view of the announcement, a large number of Delhi police and CAPF personnel were deployed outside the historic monument since morning.

There was a heavy police deployment outside the Qutab Minar complex in the national capital today after a right wing group gave a call to recite ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ on the premises of the world heritage site.

Jaibhagwan Goyal, working president of UHF, had given a call for the protest. Goyal had urged other Hindu groups to join the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa in the complex.

Talking to a news agency, Goyal said he has been under house arrest since morning at his Shahdhara residence. “At least 10-15 police personnel are outside my house. They are not allowing me to leave,”the UHF president said.

The right-wing group is demanding that the mosque inside the Qutab Minar be declared a temple and permission given for chanting of Hanuman Chalisa on its premises. It has sought rechristening of Qutab Minar as ‘Vishnu Stambh’.

Several people affiliated with right wing groups had gathered outside the Qutab Minar even as there was heavy police deployment. They were seen reciting the Hanuman Chalisa.

“First stop calling it a Qutab Minar. When Qutab-ud-din Aibak came to India, he demolished Hindu and Jain temples and started calling it Qutab Minar. This is not Qutab Minar, it is Vishnu Stambh. Its name should be immediately changed,” Goyal demanded.

He further said that several Hindu idols are still present inside the complex and many of them are broken, which is proof that a temple was demolished there. “At least allow us to immerse those idols which are broken and lying inside the complex,” said Goyal.

He further demanded that those idols, which are not broken, should be installed there and people should be allowed to visit and pray.

As the activists reached the historic minaret and proceeded to recite Hanuman Chalisa, they were detained by police at Bhul Bhulaiya, outside the complex. They have reportedly been taken to the nearest Mehrauli Police station.

According to Delhi Tourism, Qutab Minar is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom. The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers from a 15 m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top.