A group of former bureaucrats and diplomats has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting immediate intervention to halt the controversial survey of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah ordered by a local court. The petition, initiated by fringe groups claiming the dargah was originally a Shiva temple, has sparked outrage among various sections of society. The signatories, including Najeeb Jung and S Y Quraishi, termed the survey an “ideological assault” on India’s pluralistic heritage, emphasizing the inclusive legacy of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the revered Sufi saint of the 12th century.

Highlighting the provisions of the Places of Worship Act, the letter criticized the judicial response to such petitions, calling it a distortion of India’s secular ethos. The bureaucrats condemned the rise of Islamophobic rhetoric and attacks on minority communities, noting incidents of lynchings, boycotts, and forced evictions. They appealed to the Prime Minister to take decisive action against these activities, urging him to convene an interfaith meeting to promote communal harmony and reassure minorities of their safety and inclusion in India.

The letter warned that such divisive actions jeopardize the nation’s unity and the government’s developmental aspirations. The bureaucrats stressed that the Prime Minister’s leadership is crucial in ensuring adherence to the Constitution and maintaining India’s status as a land of diverse faiths coexisting in harmony.