The nation has been experiencing anguish over a notice issued by a civil court in Ajmer on November 27th on a suit claiming the existence of a Shiva temple at the site of the world-famous Dargah of Sufi mystic Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, which has a history dating back to the 13th century. Moinuddin Chishti’s Dargah is visited by thousands of devotees from around the world, from various religions and castes.
Vishnu Gupta: Strong traces of militant hindu nationalism
In the Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s shrine case, the plaintiff, Vishnu Gupta, 40, from Uttar Pradesh, started living in Delhi at a very young age. He had been under the strong influence of militant Hindu nationalism and later on went to join the Shiv Sena’s youth wing as a student and became a part of Bajrang Dal. Vishnu Gupta sought a survey through the ASI and the right of Hindus to worship at the shrine. The plaintiff also claims that the mosque was built after destroying an old Hindu temple.
In the present case, Civil Judge Manmohan Chandel, in Ajmer, has issued notices to the Dargah Committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) on the plea that sought to declare the Dargah a temple. The notices have come to the foreground after a similar controversy in Sambhal District, due to which the Sambhal District administration has issued Prohibitory Orders that restrict outsiders from visiting the violence-affected district till December 10, 2024.
Court proceedings spark outrage amongst muslim leaders and the Opposition
A group of diplomats and former bureaucrats have written to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, requesting for his intervention to stop all “illegal” activities that are an “ideological assault” on India’s rich heritage and to hold integral the concept of nurturing an inclusive country.
The members of a judicial inquiry commission visited the Shahi Jama Masjid complex in Sambhal, which is of the Mughal era. The head of the commission, retired Allahbad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora, and retired 1979 batch IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain were the two members of the three-member team to visit the troubled localities that witnessed violence on November 24th, 2024.
Amidst the ongoing turmoil, the Congress reiterated its ‘firmest commitment’ to the letter and the spirit of the constitution through upholding the prestigious ‘The Places of Worship Act, 1991’ which, in their opinion, is being disrespected and violated openly by the Bharitya Janta Party. The Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act prohibits changing the character of religious places from their original stance as of August 15th, 1947.
The president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, said that the recent violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, if left unchecked, could push the nation into chaos.
