Ajmer Dargah Survey Petition Sparks Fresh Mandir-Masjid Debate

A new controversy has emerged as the Ajmer Dargah finds itself at the centre of a mandir-masjid dispute. A civil court has issued notices to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Archaeological Survey of India, and the Ajmer Dargah Committee, following a petition filed by Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta. The petitioner claims that a Shiva temple lies beneath the 13th-century mausoleum of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and has requested a survey to substantiate the claim. The petition seeks permission to worship at the site and calls for the dargah to be declared a Mahadev temple. The Dargah Committee has dismissed the claims, warning of potential harm to communal harmony. Opposition leaders labeled the petition as a politically motivated attack, while the government rejected the accusations. This controversy follows similar petitions and court-ordered surveys of religious sites, including the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi and others in Mathura, Bhojshala, and Sambhal, raising questions about the interpretation of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. The next hearing is set for December 20.