Syed Nasserudin Chishti denounces plea claiming Ajmer Sharif Dargah built on Mahadev temple

Jaipur, Sep 25 (IANS) Syed Naseeruddin Chishti, the chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council and successor of the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah, on Wednesday, condemned a Hindu outfit's plea in the Rajasthan court which claimed that Ajmer Sharif Dargah was built on Mahadev temple.

The plea seeks a declaration that "Bhagwan Sankatmochan Mahadev Virajman is the owner of the property where the Khwaja Dargah Sahib is located at Ajmer".

"We strongly condemn this act and will respond to it," he said.

"These people are pointing fingers at holy religious places for cheap popularity, which is unfortunate! If we look at history, no objection has been raised regarding Dargah Khwaja Saheb. Right from Mughals to Khilji and Tughlaqs, Hindu kings, Rajput kings and even Marathas have seen this Dargah with great respect and expressed their faith," he said.

"Even many great personalities of Sanatan Dharma have expressed their views with great respect regarding this Dargah Khwaja Saheb. The entire history cannot be erased based on just one book published in 1911. Ajmer Dargah is a centre of faith for Muslims of the whole world as well as people of every religion. The message of peace always goes from here. It is the biggest centre of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb of Hindustan. It is very unfortunate to comment and claim that there is a temple in this Dargah," said Chishti.

"The suit filed by Hindu Sena shows to what extent religious fanaticism has reached in the country. People and institutions having such poisonous thinking should be closed. The Union Government should especially issue guidelines," he said.

He further said: "RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in June 2022, had said what was the need to find a Shivalaya in every mosque and what is the need to start a new controversy every time, I completely agree with his statement."

The suit has been filed by Hindu Sena national president Vishnu Gupta who has sought a direction from the court to direct the Dargah committee and Ministry of Minority Affairs to remove the "superstructure" (Dargah) which he has alleged is raised over a Mahadeva Linga.

It further seeks "reconstruction Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Temple at the place of Mahadeva Linga existing within the property in suit at Ajmer after removal of the present structure thereat and to make every arrangement for puja, performance of rituals of diety".