Ajmer Dargah temple claim: Hearing postponed, next date set for August 30
In anticipation of the proceedings, additional police force was deployed at the court premises alongside the Civil Lines Police Station. Advocate Yogendra Ojha stated that the hearing was deferred due to the judicial officer being on leave and judicial staff observing a mass leave.
He added that earlier applications submitted by the Dargah Committee and the Minority Affairs Department have been officially presented and will be debated in the next hearing.
The petition was filed by Vishnu Gupta, National President of Hindu Sena and a resident of Delhi. He approached the court seeking uninterrupted worship at the Sankat Mochan Shiva Temple which he claims exists within the Dargah premises of Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti.
Lawyers representing the Dargah Committee and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted separate applications stating that Gupta failed to follow the required legal procedures before filing the case. Gupta asserts that he possesses the ancient Sanskrit text 'Prithviraj Vijay', written in 1250 AD, which details the historical presence of a Shiva temple in Ajmer.
He has announced plans to present the book in court along with its Hindi translation. He also cited the Places of Worship Act, arguing that Ajmer Dargah does not fall under its purview as it is categorised as an "authorised religious place" in legal terms.
He added that Supreme Court lawyer Varun Kumar Sena has previously argued on this law and will present supporting evidence in court. Following safety concerns, Gupta has been provided police protection under the directions of SP Vandita Rana.
The civil court accepted Gupta's petition on November 27, 2024, and issued notices to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Dargah Committee Ajmer, and ASI. Subsequently, several parties including the Anjuman Committee, Dargah Diwan Ghulam Dastagir Ajmer, A. Imran (Bangalore), and Raj Jain (Hoshiarpur, Punjab) filed applications seeking to become parties in the case.
As of January 24, two hearings have been held. In his petition, Gupta also referenced the 1911 book 'Ajmer: Historical and Descriptive' by retired judge Harbilas Sarda, which claims that debris from a temple was used in the construction of the Dargah. It further asserts that a Jain temple once stood in the sanctum sanctorum and surrounding premises.
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