In a significant development, several Muslim organisations in Jaipur have called on the Supreme Court to intervene and prevent attempts to “tamper” with the Ajmer Sharif Dargah and other sacred religious sites. The appeal, made on Monday, urges the Court to maintain the status quo of mosques and bar any surveys that could potentially alter the religious character of these sites.
The appeal was made in response to petitions that have been filed in lower courts, claiming that temples once existed at the locations of certain mosques. These petitions, according to the organisations, are part of a broader effort to change the historical and religious significance of important places of worship, especially the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the revered shrine of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Mohammad Nazimuddin, convenor of the joint committee Tahaffuz-e-Auqaf, representing various Muslim groups, voiced strong concerns about the impact of such petitions. “An attempt is being made to end the status quo of mosques in the name of surveys by filing false court cases claiming temples existed at mosque sites,” he said in a statement. Nazimuddin further called for the Supreme Court to step in and prevent any tampering with sacred religious sites, particularly the Ajmer Dargah.
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In a related development, Syed Saadat Ali, an advocate and state president of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, expressed alarm over a lower court’s decision to entertain a petition claiming that a Shiva temple had once existed at the site of the Ajmer Dargah. Ali argued that such moves are troubling and go against the principles enshrined in India’s Constitution. “It is against the Constitution to entertain such petitions that seek to change the status quo of religious places,” he asserted, underlining the constitutional guarantee of safeguarding religious places from alteration.
Jameel Khan, the Rajasthan unit chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), joined the chorus of concerns, stressing the importance of preserving the Ajmer Dargah as a symbol of religious unity in India. Khan further emphasised the need to uphold the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991, which prohibits any conversion of the religious character of a place of worship. He urged the Supreme Court to dismiss petitions that, in his view, are intended to create unnecessary tensions and disrupt the communal harmony that is integral to India’s pluralistic society.
The Muslim organisations’ appeal comes at a time when tensions surrounding religious sites are escalating. With the growing number of petitions challenging the status quo of places of worship, there are increasing concerns about the potential impact on India’s pluralistic social fabric. The organisations are asking the Supreme Court to ensure that the Places of Worship Act is upheld, and to ensure that lower courts refrain from hearing petitions that seek to alter the religious or historical status of these important sites.
As this issue continues to unfold, the calls from Muslim groups in Jaipur reflect broader concerns about maintaining communal harmony and safeguarding religious spaces that hold significant cultural and historical value. The outcome of these legal battles could have far-reaching implications for the future of religious sites across the country.
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