“Where will this stop?” : Asadudduin Owaisi Slams Petition Claiming Ajmer Sharif Dargah Was Built Over Shiva Temple

“Where will this stop?” questioned AIMIM leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, strongly criticising the petition filed in a Rajasthan court, which claims that the Ajmer Sharif dargah was built over a Shiva temple. Addressing the controversy, Owaisi pointed out that the dargah has existed for over 800 years, dating back to the reign of Alauddin Khalji.

Owaisi emphasized the historical significance of the dargah, and highlighted its mention in the 13th-century writings of Amir Khusro. "That Dargah goes back 800 years; it's mentioned in Amir Khusro's book from the 13th century. And 800 years later, you're saying it's not a dargah. What will remain?" asked the Hyderabad MP. He further argued that the dargah is an important religious site, with official delegations from two neighboring countries visiting it annually.

"Where will this stop? If tomorrow, people from Jain and Buddhist communities go to court claiming that some places are their religious sites, what will happen?" he asked, underscoring the broader implications of the case. His statement was in response to the petition filed by the right-wing outfit Hindu Sena, which has raised questions about the religious status of the Ajmer Sharif dargah. The court, which has admitted the petition, has now sought responses from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Dargah committee, and the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The AIMIM Chief took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to the repeated gestures of sending chadars to the dargah. "What will the Narendra Modi government respond? They send chadars too. Narendra Modi has sent 10 chadars in 10 years. How will he respond?" Owaisi questioned, adding that the BJP and RSS should stop fueling such controversies. "This is not in the country's interest," he asserted.

Owaisi also pointed out that similar historical structures could potentially be found under the homes of BJP leaders in Delhi. "There are structures hundreds of years old under the house of a BJP leader in Delhi. This is how a civilization progresses. This is weakening India," he said. He lamented that the government is focusing on such issues while critical matters like unemployment, price rise, farmer deaths, and China’s growing influence remain unaddressed. "But you are stuck with this," he added.

Reflecting on past warnings, Owaisi recalled his concerns following the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi judgment, where he had predicted that such issues would continue to surface. "I had warned after the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi judgment that such issues would crop up. If DY Chandrachud stopped this, it would have been the end of the chapter. He made wrong oral observations. So at 15 places, such attempts are being made now," he said. Owaisi was referring to former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud's comments during the hearing of the Gyanvapi case, where he stated that the 1991 Places of Worship Act does not prohibit determining the religious character of a place, as long as it doesn’t lead to the alteration or conversion of that character. Under the 1991 Places of Worship Act, it is prohibited to change the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.​