A Hindu organization has recently filed a petition claiming that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, a revered Muslim shrine, was built on the site of a Hindu temple. This development marks the latest in a series of similar claims targeting Muslim religious sites in India.
The Hindu Sena group has requested that the dargah be declared as belonging to "Bhagwan Sankat Mochan Mahadev Virajman," asserting it as the rightful owner of the land. This move has sparked outrage among Muslim communities across the country.
Syed Naseeruddin Chishti, president of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council and spiritual successor to the Ajmer Dargah's founder, strongly condemned these claims. He accused the Hindu Sena of seeking cheap publicity by targeting sacred places and criticized their actions as promoting religious provocation.
This incident follows a pattern of similar disputes involving other Muslim religious sites in India, including the Babri Masjid, Gyanvapi Mosque, and Shahi Idgah in Mathura. The demolition of the 600-year-old Akhonji Mosque in New Delhi earlier this year has further heightened concerns among Muslim communities.
Since 2014, India has witnessed an increase in demands for Hindu supremacy and incidents of religious extremism. Muslim leaders are calling for guidelines to be issued against religious fanaticism and for the protection of mosques and shrines.
The ongoing disputes over religious sites have raised questions about the security of India's Muslim minority, estimated at around 210 million, and the preservation of their places of worship under the current government.
