Ajmer Sharif petitioner hopes for a favourable ruling from the court

Right-wing Hindu Sena's Vishnu Gupta's petition filed in September this year, cites "historical evidence" of the existence of Shiva temple in the same place before the Dargah dedicated to the 13th Century Sufi saint from Persia, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was built.

Vishnu Gupta of right-wing Hindu Sena, who filed a petition claiming that a Shiva temple existed on the premises of Ajmer Dargah, says he is hopeful that a ruling would come in their favour as notices in this regard have been issued by the court.

After Gupta’s petition in a local court in Ajmer that its highly-revered Dargah Sharif was actually a Shiva temple earlier, the court’s civil judge Manmohan Chandel issued notices on Wednesday to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, ASI and Ajmer Dargah Committee, seeking responses over the issue and scheduling the next hearing on Dec 20.

Gupta’s petition filed in September this year, cites "historical evidence" of the existence of Shiva temple in the same place before the Dargah dedicated to the 13th Century Sufi saint from Persia, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was built.

The shrine was supposed to have been built by Mughal emperor Humayun in Khwaja’s honour. Believed to be a direct descendent of Prophet Muhammad, Khwaja Chishti's teachings were secular and the Dargah’s doors are open to people of all faiths and religions.

He stayed in Ajmer from 1192 till his death in 1236 AD. He laid the foundation of the liberal Chisti order of Sufis in India and is said to have inspired millions with his teachings.

Gupta told DH that his legal team has submitted a copy of former judicial officer and academician Har Bilas Sarda’s 1911 book : 'Ajmer Historical and Descriptive’ which supposedly mentions that Shiva temple existed on the site and that remnants from that pre-existing Shiva temple was used in building the Dargah. Sarda was a senior judge in Jodhpur High Court in 1925 and was a legal officer in the Ajmer division too in 1892.

Gupta says he completed two years of research along with evidence from Sarda’s book and then filed the petition. The book claims that a Brahmin couple resided here and conducted puja rituals at the then existing Mahadev temple. Gupta says the carvings on the doors of the Dargah have Hindu designs, the upper dome seems to have pieces, which were part of Hindu temples. His third contention is that Shiva temples usually have water and waterfalls in nearby areas, which the Dargah also has.

Influenced by militant Hindu nationalism, Gupta has had associations with Shiv Sena’s youth wing and Bajrang Dal. In 2011, he founded the Hindu Sena, which has units in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, West Bengal, Orissa, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra. His website says he has been detained several times since 2011 for his protests against Leftists.

He has held protests against Pakistan and also China for blocking India’s NSG bid in 2016. He had scuffles with Aam Aadmi Party leaders in 2014 when his Sena vandalised the offices of AAP in Kausambi when AAP leader Prashant Bhushan had talked about a referendum on deployment of army in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2013, Gupta had assaulted 70-year-old Abdul Karim alias Tunda inside Delhi’s Patiala House court premises.

Gupta told DH that he is hopeful of a ruling in his favour on his demand that the Dargah be officially declared as “Sankat Mochan Mahadev temple.” He has also requested for an ASI-led survey of the place to establish its historical and religious significance. One of Gupta's counsels Ram Swaroop Bishnoi said there were supposed to be continuous religious rituals conducted at the temple till it was razed. The petitioner also claims that the dome of Dargah contains “pieces of the temple” and that there is evidence of a sanctum sanctorum in its basement.

Khwaja’s descendent and official Syed Naseruddin Chishti said these kinds of frivolous petitions pose danger to the unity of the country and will affect the social fabric of our country. Till when we would be involved in the temple-mosque disputes? Ajmer Dargah has a history of 850 years and people all faith come here to pray to Khwaja Sahib. Here in the Dargah even Hindu kings have offered prayers. The 1950 survey done here has clarified there was no Hindu temple here. Even though we have not been made a party in this case, we are in touch with our legal team and would put forth our claims strongly if need arises.”

The lawsuit is similar to the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi in which Hindu plaintiffs claim it was built over a destroyed temple and also similar to Krishna Janambhoomi case in Mathura where there is controversy over ownership of land where Shahi Idgah stands.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi targeted the BJP and RSS over the controversy and said Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and even Narendra Modi have sent chadars here. He also questioned the conduct of lower courts, implying that the Places of Worship Act was being ignored.

(The writer is a Jaipur-based senior reporter)