'Modi and all other PMs have offered chadar': Owaisi blames RSS, BJP for Ajmer Dargah row
New Delhi, Nov 28: All Indian prime ministers, including Narendra Modi, have offered 'chadar' at Ajmer Sharif Dargah and the controversy over the claim that the Sufi shrine was a temple was directly or indirectly linked to the BJP and the RSS, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said on Thursday.
A court on Wednesday admitted a petition seeking to declare the Mughal-era shrine a Shiva temple. Several opposition leaders raised serious concerns over the controversy on the Ajmer Dargah, which comes close on the heels of similar claims made regarding a mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal.
"The Dargah Sharif has been there for 800 years. Every prime minister of the country sends 'chadar' for the dargah during 'Urs'. Official delegations from neighbouring countries come there, Indian diaspora from all over the world visit the dargah... Now suddenly you are raising this issue..." Owaisi told reporters outside Parliament.
"Where will all this stop? What will happen to the Places of Worship Act, 1991?"
The Places of Worship Act 1991 states that the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947, must be maintained.
Owaisi continued, "What would Narendra Modi say? The dargah where he offered 'chadar' is not a dargah? What would ASI say?"
"This is being done to destabilise the country... I am saying repeatedly that these things are not in favour of the country. These people are related directly or indirectly with BJP, RSS... no one can deny this," he said.
The Ajmer court issued notices to the Ajmer Dargah Committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India on the plea seeking to declare the shrine a temple. The suit was filed in Ajmer in September.
The court's notice came just days after four people were killed in violence following a court ordering a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, which petitioners said was built after destroying an old temple.
Samajwadi Party's Rampur MP Mohibbullah Nadvi said the petition on Ajmer Dargah was "painful".
"Some people have lost their cool after the 2024 (Lok Sabha) election results as they didn't get the majority. These people want to target a particular community to please the majority. This is their misbelief," he told reporters outside Parliament.
Saharanpur MP Imran Masood said an atmosphere of hatred has been created in the country. "They did it in Sambhal yesterday. Now they did it in Ajmer. What is this drama?" he said.
"BJP and the government should think, this country cannot be run by hatred, you cannot sideline 25 crore people. How would the country develop without their contribution? We are very clear, your party may become stronger by creating hatred, but it is not good for the country," the Congress leader said addressing reporters outside Parliament.
He also targeted the Uttar Pradesh government over the Sambhal violence. "Do Muslim lives not matter? They will shoot us in the head? Stone pelting is wrong but they could have shot at the leg, why did they shoot people in the head and chest?" he said.
Police have denied opening fire at the protesters in Sambhal, saying "rioters" carried out shootings and stone pelting. A magisterial probe into the violence is ongoing.
Samajwadi Party's Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav reiterated her party's demand for a discussion on the Sambhal issue in Parliament.
"Our main issue is that we want a discussion on Sambhal in Lok Sabha. Speaker sir has assured that there will be a discussion. Police personnel are harassing, manipulating people in Uttar Pradesh. The police administration is working like this in the entire state," she said.
Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP from Nagina in Uttar Pradesh, Chandra Shekhar said these incidents create a trust deficit in the country.
"What if a Buddhist says there is a Buddhist temple under Hindu temples and demands a probe? Those who are encouraging this should also answer what would be the outcome... Employment, price rise, health, education, farmers, women... these are the issues, should we talk about these issues or religious places?" he said.
"What is this drama, Kashi, Mathura, Sambhal, Ajmer, what more do we have to witness? Where is the prime minister? He and the Supreme Court should take cognisance. This is being done to distract attention from real issues, but the trust deficit it is creating is dangerous," he said. AO SKY
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
