AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi questions Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on the ministry’s stand regarding the litigation on the dargah
Team Clarion
JAIPUR – A court in the Ajmer city of Rajasthan has refused to hear a civil suit seeking to declare the mausoleum of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti as a Shiv temple, saying it had no jurisdiction over it.
The court’s refusal came as members of the Hindu Sena filed a lawsuit on Wednesday (September 24), seeking the declaration of the Khaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah as a Shiva temple.
The petitioners demanded that the dargah be declared ‘Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Virajman Temple’
The petition was filed by Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta claiming that Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti came to Ajmer with Mohammad Ghori, (12-13th century Afghan ruler) who, after killing Prithviraj Chauhan, destroyed a large number of temples, including the Sankat Mochan Mahadev temple.
The Hindu Sena said in the petition that the roof design of the main entrance gate of the Ajmer shrine resembles a Hindu structure, and historical records suggest the existence of a Shiva temple at the site.
The petition also sought that the act under which the dargah functions be declared null and void, the right of worship be given to Hindus, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) be directed to conduct a scientific survey of the place.
The AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday raised concerns over the litigation against Ajmer dargah.
“Khaja Moinuddin Chishti continues to be a guiding light for Indian Muslims; his dargah is arguably one of the most visited spiritual sites for Muslims,” Owaisi said.
Owaisi questioned Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on the ministry’s stand regarding the litigation.
“Will you stand by the Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act of 1955 & the 1991 Places of Worship Act?” the AIMIM president asked in a post on X,
Owaisi also said that the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill will make the Muslim places of worship vulnerable to encroachment and desecration.
