Rajasthan Court Admits Petition Claiming Ajmer Sharif Dargah Is 'Shiva Temple', Issues Notice

A Rajasthan court on Wednesday admitted a petition filed by Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta, claiming that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah is, in fact, a Shiva temple.

In response to the lawsuit, which alleges that a Shiva temple exists within the premises of the revered shrine of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti, the Ajmer lower court issued notices to three entities.

Civil Judge Manmohan Chandel is presiding over the case, which seeks to restore Hindu worship at the site, reported India Today.

Advocate Yogesh Siroja, representing the petitioner, confirmed that notices have been sent to the Ajmer Dargah Committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in New Delhi. These parties have been asked to submit their responses to the claims, which were originally filed in September.

Vishnu Gupta, the petitioner, has demanded that the dargah be declared the "Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple" and called for an ASI-led survey to assess the site's historical and religious significance. He also requested the cancellation of any existing registrations related to the dargah and the reinstatement of Hindu worship rights.

"Our demand is that the Ajmer dargah be declared as the Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple. If the dargah has any kind of registration, it should be cancelled. A survey should be conducted by the ASI, and Hindus should be allowed the right to worship there," Gupta stated in his plea.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 20.

Reacting to the court's decision, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh urged the Supreme Court to intervene, citing the 1991 Places of Worship Act.

"The Honourable Supreme Court of India must intervene immediately. The 1991 Places of Worship Act clearly states that all religious structures, whether Hindu or Islamic, must remain as they were on 15 August 1947. If this trend of claiming mosques were built over temples or vice versa continues, the entire nation will descend into chaos. Prime Minister Modi and the BJP want the country to fight among itself, which is why I call them the *Bharatiya Jhagda Party*," Sanjay Singh remarked.

This development occurs against the backdrop of ongoing unrest in Sambhal, where four individuals have died, and numerous injuries, including to police personnel, have been reported. The violence followed a local court's order for a survey of a mosque alleged to have been constructed atop an ancient temple.