Amid the row over a Rajasthan court admitting a petition that claims that the Ajmer Sharif dargah was built over a Shiva temple, AIMIM leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi has said the dargah goes back 800 years and asked, “Where will this stop?”

“That Dargah goes back 800 years, during the reign of Alauddin Khalji; it’s mentioned in Amir Khusro’s book from the 13th century and 800 years later, you are saying it’s not a dargah. What will remain?” he said in a press conference.

Mr Owaisi said an official delegation from two neighbouring countries visits the dargah annually, and every Prime Minister sends a chadar there. “Where will this stop? If tomorrow, people from Jain and Buddhist communities go to court claiming that some places are their religious sites, what will happen?” he asked.

Right-wing outfit Hindu Sena has filed the petition linked to the dargah. While admitting it, the Ajmer court has sought responses from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Dargah committee and the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.

“What will the Narendra Modi government respond, they send chadars too. Narendra Modi has sent 10 chadars in 10 years. How will he respond? BJP-RSS must stop this. This is not in the country’s response,” he said.

In a witty wordplay, the AIMIM leader said we should now forget about AI and talk only about ASI. “Don’t talk about artificial intelligence; just keep doing ASI, ASI, and just keep digging.”

He said structures hundreds of years old can also be found under the house of a BJP leader in Delhi. “This is how a civilisation progresses, this is weakening India. There are other issues, unemployment, price rise, farmer deaths and China getting stronger. But you are stuck with this,” Mr Owaisi said.

The AIMIM leader said that he had warned after the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi judgment that such issues would crop up. “If DY Chandrachud stopped this, it would have been the end of the chapter. He made wrong oral observations. So at 15 places, such attempts are being made now.”

The AIMIM leader was referring to the former Chief Justice of India’s observations during a hearing on the Gyanvapi case. Justice Chandrachud then said that the 1991 Places of Worship Act does not bar ascertaining the religious character of a place. “The Act says you can’t alter or convert the nature of the place. They’re not seeking conversion of the place. The question is what is the status of the place as of August 15, 1947.”

The 1991 Places of Worship Act prohibits the conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947. 

“People say what is the problem with ascertaining. Is this an academic exercise? You want to change it,” Mr Owaisi said.

A young IPS officer in Karnataka, who had recently finished his training, died in an accident on his way to take up his first posting in Hassan district on Sunday. Harsh Bardhan, 26, was a resident of Madhya Pradesh and a 2023-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre.

The accident took place when the tyre of the police vehicle he was travelling in allegedly burst and the driver lost control. The vehicle reportedly hit a house and a tree on the roadside.

Mr Bardhan sustained severe head injuries and died in the hospital during treatment, while the driver suffered minor injuries.

Visuals from the spot showed heavily mangled remains of the police vehicle.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered condolences to his family and said “this should not have happened when years of hard work were paying off”.

“Saddened to hear about the death of probationary IPS officer Harsh Bardhan in a horrific accident near Kittane border of Hassan-Mysuru Highway. It is very sad that such an accident happened while he was on his way to take charge as an IPS officer. This should not have happened when years of hard work were paying off,” he posted in Kannada on X.

“I pray to God that Harsh Bardhan’s soul rests in peace. My condolences to the family,” Mr Siddaramaiah added.

Sadananda Gowda, the former chief minister of Karnataka, called it a “tragic loss”.

“India has lost a dedicated young officer in the making,” Mr Gowda, an ex-Lok Sabha MP, posted on X.

Tragic loss of 2023 batch IPS probationer Harsha Vardhan in a road accident near Hassan. He was on his way for district training after completing KPA training.

India has lost a dedicated young officer in the making. pic.twitter.com/toX1l2Nc25

— Sadananda Gowda (@DVSadanandGowda) December 1, 2024

Mr Bardhan was on his way to Hassan to report on duty as a probationary Assistant Superintendent of Police in Holenarasipur, the police said.

According to reports, he had recently completed his four-week training at the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysuru.

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