JAIPUR: A petition claiming that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah was built over a Hindu temple has ignited fierce political row, with the opposition saying that it is just a tactic of the government to divert people’s attention from issues that matter.After a Hindu outfit claimed that a Shiva temple exists inside the revered Dargah of sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti, a local court in Ajmer had on Wednesday issued notices to the Dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India on the plea seeking to declare the shrine a temple.Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has accused the BJP of polarising the Ajmer Dargah row. He criticized members of the ruling party for sowing discord and creating confusion by approaching the court over the issue. Gehlot strongly asserted that, “People from all over the country offer prayers at the Ajmer Dargah… Even all the Prime Ministers, including PM Modi, offer ‘chadar’ at the Ajmer Dargah. They are offering ‘chadar,’ yet members of their party are going to court and creating confusion. What kind of message is being spread? Where there is unrest, there can’t be development.”Similarly, senior Congress MLA Rafeek Khan said the Ajmer dargah row was a blow to the constitutional right of freedom of religion and equality. “The shrine was built in the 12th century and it is being challenged in 2024. This is an attempt to disturb communal harmony and is against the brotherhood between communities,” he said. Accusing the Modi government of sowing division, Khan remarked, “Instead of looking forward to giving a bright future to the youths and the coming generation, the government is pushing them backward and misleading them because it has nothing to present as its achievement.”In sharp contrast, BJP State president Madan Rathore said the Congress had treated Muslims as a vote bank and indulged in appeasement. He argued that decisions in such matters should be taken on the basis of history which shows that Mughals had destroyed many Hindu temples. “Several such buildings were damaged and captured by Mughals in the past, but the courts gave judgements after a probe.”Amid the ongoing dispute over the Ajmer Dargah, Rajasthan Minister Jawahar Singh Bedham stated that the petition is now in court, and the state government will follow whatever decision the court makes. Claiming that the Congress has always divided people by doing appeasement politics, Bedham said, “Congress has always divided people by doing appeasement politics. Our aim is to preserve cultural identity. The state moves on the path of development. The petition has gone to court. Whatever decision will be taken by the court, the state government will follow it.”While most neutrals and social activists are outraged at the baseless claims about the Ajmer Dargah made in the petition by a Hindutva activist, the government’s announcement that it will abide by whatever decision the judiciary gives will hopefully help to calm tempers and tensions.
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