'Declare Ajmer Dargah as Sankatmochan Mahadev Temple': Hindu Sena files case, sparks row (WATCH)
A civil suit has been filed before the Ajmer District Court claiming that Ajmer Dargah in Rajasthan was built over a Shiva temple and hence, it should be declared as Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Virajman temple.
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FollowA fresh wave of outrage has swept through the country following a lawsuit filed by the Hindu Sena, demanding that the historic Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah in Rajasthan's Ajmer be declared the 'Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Virajman Temple.' The lawsuit alleges that the revered Sufi shrine was built on the ruins of an ancient Shiva temple, stirring concerns about communal discord.
Muslim communities across India have condemned the lawsuit as a deliberate attempt to incite tensions. Various organizations and religious leaders have expressed their strong disapproval, viewing this legal move as a targeted attack aimed at disturbing the delicate fabric of India's pluralistic society.
The lawsuit, filed by Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta, was scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday but was postponed to October 10 due to jurisdictional issues. The petitioner had mistakenly filed the case in the court of the chief judicial magistrate instead of the additional chief judicial magistrate number-3. Gupta’s legal team has now sought a transfer of the case to the appropriate court.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Shashi Ranjan Kumar Singh, maintained that the claim was built on "facts derived from authentic sources." The petition demands that the Sufi shrine be removed, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) be ordered to conduct a detailed survey of the site, similar to the one carried out at Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque. Additionally, the petitioner seeks the reconstruction of a Shiva temple at the same location.
The Hindu Sena’s claims date back to the 12th century, asserting that Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti arrived in Ajmer with Afghan ruler Mohammad Ghori. The lawsuit contends that Ghori, after defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, demolished numerous temples, including the Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple, to make way for the dargah. The petitioner points to architectural features of the shrine's entrance, which they claim resemble Hindu temple designs, as further evidence of a pre-existing Shiva temple.
However, Syed Sarwar Chishti, secretary of the Anjuman Syed Zadgan, the body overseeing the Khadims (priests) at the shrine, sharply criticized the lawsuit. "This is a frivolous claim and an attack on the holy shrine of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz. It has deeply hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees, both Hindu and Muslim. Our commitment to peaceful coexistence should not be mistaken for cowardice," Chishti declared, voicing the collective dismay of the shrine’s followers, according to a report by Times of India.
Prominent political leaders have also weighed in on the controversy. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi remarked, "Is it not the same shrine where PM Narendra Modi has been sending Chadar during Urs every year? This petition is a blatant violation of the Places of Worship Act (Special Provisions), 1991. The people and organizations behind such frivolous petitions are backed by the BJP. It is an attack on the dignity of followers of Sufism, who come from various religions. This is an assault on the country's pluralism and the Constitution."
Echoing Owaisi’s sentiments, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s spokesperson, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, warned of a broader conspiracy to target Muslim religious sites. “The petition challenging the status of the Ajmer dargah is part of a larger conspiracy to target our dargahs and mosques,” he asserted, framing the lawsuit as part of a growing trend aimed at inflaming communal tensions.
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