Srinagar- A Hindu outfit’s claim of the existence of a Shiva temple inside the revered Dargah of sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer has sparked a political controversy, with the opposition saying that it is just a tactic of the government to divert people’s attention from issues that matter.
On Wednesday, a local court in Ajmer, known the world over as home of the dargah visited by thousands of devotees cutting across religious divides every day, issued notices to the dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India on the plea seeking to declare the shrine a temple.
The notice came just days after four people were killed in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh in violence following a local court ordering survey of a Mughal-era shrine, the Shahi Jama Masjid, which petitioners said was built after destroying an old temple. And set off fears that Ajmer could become another communal tinderbox.
While dargah committee officials declined to comment, Syed Sarwar Chishti, secretary of the Anjuman Syed Zadgan, a body representing the khadims (caretakers) of the Ajmer dargah, described the petition as a deliberate attempt to fracture society along communal lines.
He said the dargah which he described as a symbol of communal harmony and secularism comes under the Minority Affairs ministry and the ASI has nothing to do with it.
“The community accepted the decision in the Babri Masjid case and we believed nothing will happen after that but unfortunately such things are happening again and again. The example of Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh is in front of us. This must stop,” he said.
He added that the Anjuman be made party to the case.
The plea seeking directions to start worship in the temple was filed in September and the next hearing is on December 20.
“Our demand was that the Ajmer dargah be declared a Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple and if the dargah has any kind of registration, it should be cancelled. Its survey should be done through ASI and Hindus should be given the right to worship there,” plaintiff Vishnu Gupta told reporters.
The Hindu Sena president has referred to a book by academic Har Bilas Sarda to support his claim that there was a Shiv temple where the dargah was raised.
He claimed he had conducted research for two years and found that there was a Shiva temple which was destroyed by Muslim invaders and a dargah built.
As debate – and concerns – escalated, Union minister Giriraj Singh wondered why.
“A court has ordered survey in Ajmer. What is the problem if court has ordered a survey? This is a truth that when Mughals came to India, they demolished our temples. The Congress government has only done appeasement till now. If (Jawaharlal) Nehru would have stopped it in 1947 itself, there would have been no need to approach the court today,” he said.
At the centre of much of the debate was The Places of Worship (special provisions) Act, 1991, which fixed August 15, 1947 as the cut-off date for status quo on the character of religious places.
According to SQR Ilyas, spokesperson for the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, such claims were a “blatant mockery” of the law and the Constitution, especially in light of the Places of Worship Act.
The law, enacted by Parliament, clearly specified that the status of any place of worship as of August 15, 1947, shall remain unchanged and cannot be challenged, he said in a statement.
The intent was clear, to prevent any further targeting of mosques or other religious places following the Babri Masjid case, he said.
“Following the unresolved issue of Sambhal’s Jama Masjid, a new claim has emerged, asserting that the world-renowned Ajmer dargah is the Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple. Unfortunately, the West Civil Court in Ajmer has accepted this petition for hearing and issued notices to the parties involved,” Ilyas said.
Secular Foundations Being Shaken: Mehbooba
“Thanks to a former Chief Justice of India a Pandora’s box has been opened sparking a contentious debate about minority religious places. Despite a Supreme Court ruling that the status quo should be maintained as it existed in 1947, his judgement has paved the way for surveys of these sites potentially leading to increased tension between Hindus and Muslims,” said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.
She was apparently referring to an order by a bench led by then CJI D Y Chandrachud allowing the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi to determine if it was built on a pre-existing temple.
The bench comprising then CJI Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, asked the ASI to carry out the survey through “non-invasive methodology”.
She alleged that it has the potential to create division and bloodshed in the country.
She expressed concern over the growing tensions across the nation and cited incidents that could further divide communities.
“Religious places shouldn’t be altered in any way. But unfortunately, the judgment passed by the former CJI has opened doors to escalating controversies over religious sites,” Mehbooba said.
“Earlier, shivlings were being claimed in mosques, and now it is happening at shrines like Ajmer Dargah Sharif. If this isn’t stopped, they will start claiming our homes tomorrow,” she stated.
Highlighting the significance of Ajmer Sharif, Mehbooba said it is a site revered by all faiths, including Hindus, who visit in large numbers to seek blessings. She called the shrine a symbol of harmony, with a history spanning over 800 years.
She feared that such developments could lead to disturbances in the country, akin to the partition of 1947. “If this isn’t stopped, it will lead the country towards division and bloodshed,” she added.
She continued, saying that leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sardar Patel, and Mahatma Gandhi lived their lives to uphold the secular ideals of India, but today, the secular foundations of the country are being shaken. “The secular fabric of our nation is being shaken. Instead of addressing unemployment, improving education, or providing better healthcare, efforts are being made to pit Hindus and Muslims against each other,” Mehbooba remarked.
She held the former Chief Justice responsible for playing a “negative role” in this matter, stating that his actions have contributed to the current climate of unrest.
Mehbooba urged the government to prioritize unity and focus on issues affecting common citizens, rather than stoking communal tensions.
“Yet another shocker.. supposedly hidden somewhere in the Ajmer Dargah Sharif,” added People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on the developments in Ajmer.
“Worrisome. The latest claim: Shiv Temple at Ajmer Dargah. Where are we taking this country? And why? For political dividends!” Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said in a post on X.
“These things are very painful. Some people have their cool after 2024 (Lok Sabha) election results as they didn’t get the majority. These people want to target a particular community to please the majority,” added Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah Nadvi.
Extremely Disturbing: Mirwaiz
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed concern on Friday over the recent court-ordered surveys of religious sites and called for the protection of Muslim heritage and their rights.
Addressing the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid here, Mirwaiz of Kashmir, condemned the killing of four youths in clashes during protests against the survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambha.
“The killing of these youths in discriminatory police action is very distressing and condemnable,” he said.
The Mirwaiz claimed that a court in Rajasthan’s Ajmer “ordered the survey of the state’s iconic Ajmer Sharif Dargah”.
“Before that, the Gyanvapi Mosque was surveyed on court orders. There seems to be a deliberate pattern, first doubts are raised, then a court orders surveys and then the majority claims have to be satisfied,” the Mirwaiz said.
He said, “The Babri Masjid issue… is fresh in the minds of Muslims.”
This is an “extremely disturbing and serious issue for the Muslims of not only India and Kashmir but also the subcontinent and the world over,” the Hurriyat Conference chairman said.
“The 800-year-old shrine of the great Sufi and wali, Hazrat Moinuddin, is revered by Muslims the world over and thousands visit it daily. It is linked to the history of the spread of Islam in the Indian subcontinent and holds a special significance for the people of Kashmir who make pilgrimage to the dargah,” he said.
About the surveys of mosques, the Mirwaiz said such actions “backed by the judiciary and government deeply undermine the religious sentiments” of crores of Muslims here.
“If India is a secular state as per its preamble, run by a constitution which includes the Places of Worship Act, then why are such issues allowed to be raked up and entertained continuously?” he posed.
This is a “dangerous trend that is being encouraged and can have very serious consequences”, the Hurriyat Conference chairman added.
About the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, he said it is a worrying matter for the Muslims and as such the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema — an amalgam of religious organisations — has sent a letter to Jagdambika Pal, the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the issue, seeking a meeting with him on the matter.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was a Sufi saint from Persia who made Ajmer his home.
During his reign, Mughal ruler Akbar made a pilgrimage to Ajmer every year. He, as well as Shah Jahan, built mosques inside the shrine complex.
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