BJP leaders welcome court's notice over ‘temple beneath Ajmer Dargah’ claim

New Delhi: The political atmosphere in the country is charged following a Rajasthan court issuing notices to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Dargah Committee Ajmer, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over a petition claiming the existence of a Shiva temple within the premises of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.

The petition, filed by Vishnu Gupta, National President of the Hindu Sena, claims that the Sankat Mochan Mahadev temple exists at the site of the Dargah.

The court presided over by Civil Judge Manmohan Chandel, deemed the petition admissible and issued notices to the authorities concerned, asking them to respond before the next hearing scheduled for December 20.

The BJP welcomed the court's move, stressing the importance of respecting judicial processes.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Union Minister Giriraj Singh remarked, "If a Hindu has filed a petition and the court has accepted it, then what is the issue? The Mughals destroyed our temples, and if such actions had been addressed earlier, there would have been no need for petitions like this."

Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Arun Govil said, "The court has taken cognisance. Let us wait for its decision before discussing the issue further."

Stressing that the nation's judicial process is "impartial," BJP MP Dinesh Sharma added, "No one should question the court's decisions, as they are made after thorough consideration."

Similarly, BJP MLA Ravi Kishan stressed the need to respect and trust the judicial process.

"We should bow to the court if it has issued any notice and respect it," he told IANS.

The petition cites retired judge Har Bilas Sarda's 1911 book, 'Ajmer: Historical and Descriptive', which claims that debris from a Shiva temple was used to construct the Dargah. It also alleges the presence of a Jain temple within the sanctum sanctorum.

Gupta pointed to architectural elements and carvings on the Buland Darwaza as evidence of Hindu traditions at the site and urged the ASI to investigate.

Advocate Ramswaroop Bishnoi, representing the petitioners, stated that the 38-page plea offers detailed evidence, including historical references and architectural similarities, to support the claim. The plea also draws parallels with other disputed sites, such as Bhojshala in Madhya Pradesh and Kashi in Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, the Dargah Committee has denied these allegations. Syed Sarwar Chishti, secretary of Anjuman Syed Jadgan, an organisation of the Dargah's caretakers, defended the Ajmer Sharif Dargah as a symbol of unity and pluralism, with followers from across the world.

He criticised the petition as harmful to communal harmony, referencing similar disputes in Kashi and Mathura.

Chishti also criticised legal amendments by former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, alleging they facilitated such disputes. "This is Garib Nawaz Dargah, a beacon of peace and harmony, and it will remain so," he said.

The petition calls for an ASI-led survey of the Dargah premises, with specific attention to the 75-foot-high Buland Darwaza, which the plea claims was constructed using materials from a Shiva temple. It also references accounts of a Brahmin family that reportedly worshipped at the site where a Shivling was once located.

As the debate unfolds, both sides remain firm, with the court's next hearing expected to shape the trajectory of this sensitive issue.