'All PMs have offered chadar', Ashok Gehlot criticises BJP over Ajmer dargah issue

Jaipur, Nov 29 (IANS) Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has criticised the BJP after a petition filed in an Ajmer court claimed that a Shiva temple exists within the dargah premises.

"People from across the country offer prayers at the Ajmer Dargah. Even all the Prime Ministers, including PM Modi, have offered 'chadar' at the dargah. On one hand, chadar is being offered, while on the other, members of their party are approaching courts and creating confusion. What kind of message is being sent?", Gehlot said.

Gehlot further said, "Where there is unrest, there can't be development."

He reiterated that as per the law, religious places established before August 15, 1947, should remain as they are and should not be questioned.

Highlighting the dargah's historical significance, Gehlot said, "The Ajmer Dargah is 800 years old. It has been a place of worship for people worldwide, including Hindus and Muslims. Since the time of Pandit Nehru, it has been customary for Prime Ministers -- whether from Congress, BJP or any other party -- to offer chadar at the dargah. Offering a chadar carries its own meaning and significance. However, while doing so, members of the ruling party are also filing cases that create confusion. What kind of thinking does this reflect?"

Gehlot accused the ruling party of exploiting religious sentiments for electoral gains, stating, "Whether it’s the Maharashtra elections, Haryana elections, or Parliament elections, victories are being achieved through polarization. Tickets are openly distributed on the basis of religion. The situation in the country is serious and demands introspection from those in power."

He stressed that questioning religious sites established before Independence was unwarranted and divisive.

A lower court in Ajmer has admitted a petition filed by Vishnu Gupta, National President of Hindu Sena, asserting that the Sankat Mochan Mahadev temple exists within the premises of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. The court presided over by Civil Judge Manmohan Chandel, has deemed the matter admissible and on Wednesday issued notices to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Dargah Committee Ajmer, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), asking them to present their responses.

The next hearing is scheduled for December 20.

The petition references retired judge Harvilas Sharda's 1911 book, Ajmer: Historical and Descriptive, which claims that debris from a Shiva temple was used in constructing the dargah. The petition also alleges that a Jain temple exists within the sanctum sanctorum of the site.

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