Srinagar, Nov 28 : A day after a local court in Rajasthan issued notices over a petition seeking a survey of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Kashmir mainstream leaders on Thursday expressed their serious concern on it.

Peoples Democratic Party president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti claimed that targeting of Muslim religious places can result in 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 to maintain the status quo as it existed in 1947, his judgment has paved the way for surveys of these sites, potentially increasing tensions between Hindus and Muslims,” she said in a post X.

The recent violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, is the direct result of this judgment. 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 asked.

A Court in Rajasthan on Wednesday issued notices to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Archaeological Survey of India, and the Ajmer Dargah Committee over a petition seeking a survey of the renowned Ajmer Sharif Dargah. The petition was filed by Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta.

In a statement issued after the post on X, Mehbooba described the ongoing situation as a “betrayal of India’s founding ideals.”

She said the India that Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Maulana Azad “envisioned is being torn apart by hatred, fear, and division.”

“This isn’t about Hindus or Muslims. It’s about the very idea of India a land of diverse faiths and shared heritage being systematically dismantled,” Mehbooba said.

The PDP Chief emphasized the human cost of such communal violence.

“It’s the daily wage labourer, the small shopkeeper, the farmer, and the homemaker who suffer the most when violence erupts. Children lose their innocence, families lose loved ones, and communities lose trust. What kind of legacy are we leaving for our future generations?”

The former Chief Minister also accused the ruling establishment of weaponizing religion for political gains.

J&K Peoples Conference Chairman and MLA Handwara, Sajad Lone expressed strong disapproval of a recent court order permitting the survey of the most revered Sufi shrine, Ajmer Sharif, in search of remnants of an ancient Hindu temple.

In an official statement, Lone criticized the misplaced priorities and growing regression in Indian society. “Yet another shocker,” he remarked, referring to the suit seeking a temple “supposedly hidden somewhere in the Ajmer Dargah Sharif.”

He emphasized 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,” the Peoples Conference Chairman lamented.

Lone further 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 mythologizing,” the MLA added.

Lone emphasized that Ajmer’s spiritual and inclusive legacy represents spirituality at its finest, serving as a destination where people of all faiths converge, irrespective of religion, caste, or creed, with a unique belief in the spiritual deliverance offered by this great seat of spirituality.

UNI