A day after PM Narendra Modi handed over a Chadar to be offered on his behalf at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, a plea has been filed to temporary halt the offering. The application was filed at a court in Ajmer in a pending suit before the court claiming that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah was built over the remains of a Shiva temple.
The application has been filed by Hindu Sena President Vishnu Gupta, who also filed the original suit. This comes after PM Modi handed over a ceremonial ‘chadar’ to Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, January 2. The chadar is to offered at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
PM @narendramodi ji presented the Chadar that would be offered on his behalf at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) January 2, 2025
This gesture reflects his deep respect for India’s rich spiritual heritage and the enduring message of harmony and compassion. pic.twitter.com/m3jTR0MjV7
In the petition, Vishnu Gupta argued that by sending the chadar to the ‘disputed’ structure while a suit challenging it is pending before the court, the central govt is undermining the independence if judiciary and the right to a fair hearing.
PM Modi has been sending chadar to Ajmer Sharif Dargah every year since 2014 after he became the Prime Minister, and this is the tenth time he has made the offering. On Thursday, he handed over the chadar to Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, to be offered at the Dargah on his behalf.
The application stated, “giving any political legitimacy to the disputed structure by sending a Chadar will not only hamper the court process but will also taint the court’s independence, due to which the entire case will become baseless.”
According to the Hindu Sena president, the matter will be heard by Civil Judge Manmohan Chandel at 10 AM on 4th January.
प्रधानमंत्री द्वारा अजमेर शरीफ दरगाह पर चादर भेजने के खिलाफ हिन्दू सेना ने अजमेर जिला न्यायालय में अर्जी दाखिल कर चादर को तत्काल रोक लगाने की मांग की !
— Vishnu Gupta 🕉️ (@VishnuGupta_HS) January 3, 2025
अर्जी पर कल दिनांक 4/1/2025 को सुबह 10:00 बजे अजमेर के सिविल जज साहब मनमोहन चंदेल की अदालत में सुनवाई होगी @ANI pic.twitter.com/Mzt8gXDJyJ
Notably, Gupta has filed the main suit as the next friend of Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Virajman, where it has been claimed that Dargah has been built by converting old Hindu temples. The petition seeks an ASI survey of the Dargah and the reconstruction of Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Temple at the site after the removal of the present structure.
The plea further adds that there is a Shiva Linga beneath the underground passage to the cellar within the Dargah complex.
