SC dismisses plea against PM offering ‘Chadar’ at Ajmer Sharif Dargah

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking to restrain Prime Minister Narendra Modi from offering a ceremonial chadar at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah during the 814th Urs of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti, holding that the issue was no longer live and did not raise any justiciable question.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the relief sought had become redundant as the chadar offering had already taken place. The Court further held that the subject matter did not warrant judicial adjudication.

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“This is infructuous now. The issues raised are not justiciable. The writ petition is dismissed,” the Bench said.

At the same time, the Court clarified that its dismissal of the petition would not affect a civil suit presently pending before a court in Ajmer concerning the Dargah. “A suit is pending. You may pursue it. This order shall have no bearing on the pending civil suit,” the Bench added.

The plea had challenged the practice of state-sponsored ceremonial offerings at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, specifically objecting to the Prime Minister’s participation in the tradition as part of the annual Urs celebrations.

Offering a chadar at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah is a long-established custom that has been followed by successive Prime Ministers over the decades.

Earlier this year, a similar objection was raised before an Ajmer court by Hindu Sena leader Vishnu Gupta as part of a pending civil suit. That suit alleges that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah stands on the site of a demolished Shiva temple.

In those proceedings, Gupta argued that the Union government’s act of sending a chadar to what he described as a “disputed structure” undermined judicial independence and the right to a fair trial, as the dispute over the site is sub judice.