Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Peoples Conference chief Sajad Gani Lone on Thursday flayed a plea in a Rajasthan court claiming that the Ajmer dargah was built over a Hindu temple, saying “targeting” of mosques and shrines can lead to “further bloodshed”.
“Thanks to a former Chief Justice of India a Pandora’s box has been opened sparking a contentious debate about minority religious places. Despite a Supreme Court ruling that the status quo should be maintained as it existed in 1947, his judgement has paved the way for surveys of these sites potentially leading to increased tension between Hindus and Muslims,” she said in a post on X.
She was apparently referring to an order by a bench led by then CJI DY Chandrachud allowing the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque to determine if the 17th century structure was built upon a pre-existing temple. However, the court had asked the ASI not to take recourse to any invasive act during the survey.
The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir claimed the recent violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh is the direct result of this judgment.
Violence had erupted in Sambhal where a court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid mosque was carried out following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site.
“First mosques and now Muslim shrines like Ajmer Sharif are being targeted which can result in further bloodshed. The question remains – who will take responsibility for perpetuating this communal violence reminiscent of the partition days?” she added.
People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone also expressed strong disapproval of the plea and slammed misplaced priorities and growing regression in Indian society.
“Yet another shocker.. supposedly hidden somewhere in the Ajmer Dargah Sharif,” Lone said in a statement.
He said that as 2025 approaches, marking the dawn of the Artificial Intelligence era, society has regrettably chosen the path of regression.
“And as Indians, let us be honest – we have not contributed to any technological revolution. Yes, we have the resources to make use of them by buying, but scientific innovation? No. None. Not even remotely,” he added.
Lone expressed concern that the nation’s focus appears entirely consumed by an obsession with uncovering hidden temples.
“And make no mistakes, a statistically significant section of the population is applauding it,” he said.
“And yes, the more educated, the more temple-searchers they tend to be. Those educated ones who should have been at the forefront of heralding the Indian tech revolution are busy mythologising,” Lone added.
