The lower court has accepted the petition declaring the famous Dargah located in Ajmer, Rajasthan, as a Hindu temple. The court notified all parties and set December 20 as the next hearing date. In fact, Vishnu Gupta of the Hindu Sena had filed a petition in the court to declare the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer as a place of Hindu worship.
The petition was heard by Ajmer West court High Division Judge Manmohan Chandel on Wednesday. Meanwhile, taking cognizance of petitioner Vishnu Gupta’s complaint, Justice Manmohan Chandel ordered issuing summons notice to the Dargah Committee, Minority Affairs and ASI and asked them to appear on the next date.
Sarwar Chishti, secretary of workers’ organization Anjuman Syed Jadgan, has issued a statement in this regard. He said the Dargah is a symbol of faith and communal harmony and has millions of followers across the world. He said we have clashed many times and Hindu Sena has been making similar statements for the last three years. These situations do not benefit the country.
He said that after the Babri Masjid controversy, we thought that the situation in the country would normalize, but it is not happening. We will answer this in court. The Dargah is and will remain the Dargah of Garib Nawaz. No one’s wishes will be fulfilled. This place is a center of faith and the wishes of the devotees who come here are fulfilled. Dargah has always been a symbol of religious harmony and is a place where people of all religions come with equal enthusiasm.
Hindu organizations call the Dargah a Hindu temple.
Hindu organizations have long been calling Ajmer Dargah a temple. In the year 2022, the Hindu organization Maharana Pratap Sena, claiming that it was a temple, wrote a letter to the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, and the Central Government and asked them to investigate it. Maharana Pratap Sena officials had sent a photograph claiming that there were swastika marks on the windows of Ajmer Dargah. The organization’s founder Rajvardhan Singh Parmar had claimed that Ajmer Dargah was a Shiva temple turned Dargah.
Violence during Shahi Jama Masjid poll in Sambhal, UP
While hearing the petition regarding Shahi Jama Masjid of Sambhal district as a Harihar temple, the court ordered an inspection of the mosque. First, the survey was conducted on the night of November 19 and for the second time on November 24 (Sunday) the survey team reached the mosque. The survey was to be held in the presence of both parties with the consent of the mosque committee, but a large number of people protested against the mosque survey. When the investigation began by order of the court, the mob became angry and attacked the police, threw stones and set many vehicles on fire.
To control the situation, the police had to use tear gas and many criminals were arrested. Despite this, the investigation team has completed its work and the report will be presented to the court on November 29, where all parties will have the opportunity to give their opinion.
Sambhal Jama Masjid or Harihar Temple?
As for the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, the question arises whether this mosque was actually built by demolishing an ancient Hindu temple. ‘Aaj Tak’ carried out a historical and archaeological investigation of this claim, in which the 1879 report of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) revealed many shocking facts. This report was prepared by ACL Carlyle and published under the title “Tours in the Central Doab and Gorakhpur 1874–1875 and 1875–1876”.
The then official of the Archaeological Survey of India, ACL The report prepared by ACL Carlleyle, “Tours in the Central Doab and Gorakhpur 1874–1875 and 1875–1876”, contains a detailed study of Jama Masjid of Sambhal. According to the report, the pillars inside and outside the mosque come from ancient Hindu temples, which were attempted to be hidden by applying plaster. When the plaster was removed from one of the pillars of the mosque, ancient red pillars were visible, which were of the same design and structure used in Hindu temples.
The ASI survey stated that there are many signs and remains present in the mosque that point to its antiquity and its connection with a Hindu temple. However, the matter is sub judice and the latest survey results will be presented in court on November 29. More truth will become clear from this report.
