• Source:JND
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (January 2) handed over the ceremonial 'chadar' to Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju. The sacred chadar will be offered at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the occasion of the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the revered 13th-century Sufi saint. Sharing a picture of the chadar on X, formerly Twitter, Rijiju conveyed that the offering would be made on behalf of PM Modi at the shrine.

“PM Narendra Modi ji presented the Chadar that would be offered on his behalf at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti,” Rijiju said in a post on X. 

“This gesture reflects his deep respect for India’s rich spiritual heritage and the enduring message of harmony and compassion,” he added. 

The minister was joined by Jamal Siddiqui, the national president of the BJP Minority Morcha, during the ceremony of presenting the ‘chadar’. Since becoming Prime Minister, Modi has offered the 'chadar' to Ajmer Sharif Dargah on ten occasions. This marks the 11th time he will partake in this ongoing tradition.

The Ajmer Sharif Dargah is one of India's most revered Sufi shrines. Each year, millions of pilgrims from across the globe come together to observe the annual Urs, which marks the death anniversary of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. The 'chadar' will be laid over the shrine (Mazar-e-Akdas) of Khwaja Garib Nawaz, symbolizing deep devotion and reverence.

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Modi's gesture comes a month after the Rajasthan court accepted a petition by the Hindu Sena, which claimed that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

The dargah stirred controversy in 2023 when, on November 27, a local court in Ajmer issued a notice to three parties involved in a civil suit claiming that a Shiva temple exists within the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti.

Meanwhile, Vishnu Gupta, the chief of Hindu Sena, has written to PM Modi, urging him to stop the tradition of sending a 'chadar' to the Ajmer Dargah. Gupta's request comes in light of the ongoing dispute over the site, which is currently under judicial consideration.

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"Similar to the matter of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh dispute, where no Prime Minister in his or her official capacity intervened in the cultural and traditional affairs or visited the disputed site until the matter was sub-judice, I would like to request you for the suspension of this formality of sending a Chadar as an offering through the Office of Prime Minister until the above-mentioned petition is sub-judice,” his letter read.