Mumbai (Maharashtra) : The 813th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer Sharif is about to begin, and before the celebrations, Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena UBT, has sent a chadar to the shrine. The chadar was handed over to Khadim Syed Zishan Chishti on December 24, 2024.

The chadar was sent from Thackeray's residence, Matoshree, for the occasion of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's 813th Urs at Ajmer Sharif. Along with Thackeray, prominent Shiv Sena UBT leaders, including Vinayak Raut, Nitin Nandgaonkar, Muzaffar Pawaskar, Kamlesh Nawle, Nauman Pawaskar, and Ganesh Mane, were also present at the ceremony.

The Controversy Behind the Chadar

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This gesture comes at a time when a legal case is ongoing in the Rajasthan court over claims that a Shiva temple exists beneath the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. The timing of Thackeray's chadar offering could potentially be turned into a political issue by the opposition. With the BMC elections approaching, the BJP might use this as a point of contention.

Next Hearing Scheduled for January 24

On December 20, 2024, the Ajmer Civil Court conducted a second hearing regarding the claim that a temple exists beneath the dargah. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court has scheduled the next hearing for January 24, 2025.

The court issued notices to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Ajmer Dargah Committee, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Additionally, five other individuals or organizations have filed petitions to be included as parties to the case. The Dargah Committee's lawyer, Ashok Mathur, filed a plea to dismiss the petition, while Vishnu Gupta and the Anjuman Committee’s lawyers presented their arguments. Nasiruddin Chishti, the son of the Dargah’s Deewan, also appeared in court, requesting to be included as a party to the case, claiming their lineage to Khwaja Sahab.

Vishnu Gupta, who claims that a temple exists beneath the dargah, argued in court that discussions had taken place regarding the Worship Act, stating that the dargah is not included under the Worship Act.