Claim on the Ajmer Sharif Dargah: An Attack on the Unity of the Country

Mohammad Shafi, the National Vice President of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) underlined the historical importance of the centuries-old Ajmer Sharif Dargah and its role in upholding the religious unity in the country. He was speaking at the press conference organised by the party at the Dargah Sharif in Ajmer in the context of the claim on the Dargah by the Hindutva fanatics.He said that this Dargah had always been a symbol of religious and cultural unity. This holy place had received full support from non-Muslim rulers like Marathas, Rajputs and Scindias which continued from 1719 to 1947. Even the British rulers recognised and respected the sanctity of this Dargah.”The sanctity of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah has never been questioned by anyone, no matter who was in power. But in the era of Prime Minister Modi, its religious and historical importance is being questioned. It is unfortunate that today such destructive elements who are trying to harm the unity and communal harmony of the country are being given legitimacy,” said Shafi.Shafi appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn the decisions of lower courts that had accepted petitions for surveys or that questioned the status of the Muslim religious places.

He warned that any attempt to harm the sanctity of these sites could have serious consequences on the country’s stability and unity.Rajratan Ambedkar, Secretary of the Sanvidhaan Suraksha Andolan and National President of Indian Buddhist Society said “I want to clear the stand of the Buddhist Society of India in the ongoing issue of Ajmer Dargah. Though the Places of Worship Act was enacted in 1991, its content is that a mosque that was a mosque will remain a mosque and a temple will remain a temple in independent India as it were on 15th August 1947.

Now, despite the Places of Worship Act 1991 being in force in India, if any court is giving orders to survey the mosques, then it is violating the Constitution of India. If the courts continue this trend, then the Buddhist Society of India will demand to survey those temples occupied by Hindus, as well, warned Ambedkar. But the Society accept the Places of Worship Act 1991 and hence is not going to demand such a survey. SDPI National General Secretary, Yasmeen Farooqi called the petition to survey the Dargah a challenge to the secular principles of the Constitution.

She said, “This petition is a test of the Constitution made by Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. Prime Minister Modi, as the biggest custodian of the Constitution, should ensure that justice is done. Crores of followers of Khwaja Saheb are waiting for his response.”Farooqi also criticised some individuals from the Dargah community who forged close ties with BJP leaders on controversial issues like CAA-NRC and the Waqf Amendment Bill. She termed such individuals as opportunists and said, “Every group has some black sheep, but the majority stands firmly to protect secular and democratic values.”SDPI Rajasthan State President Ashfaq Hussain also attended the press conference.