New Delhi: A group of former Indian bureaucrats and diplomats has voiced deep concern over a call from Hindu extremists for a survey of the Ajmer Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, labeling the demand as an illegal assault on India’s cultural heritage.

According to Kashmir Media Service, in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the group condemned the demand and described it as a “theoretical attack” on India’s heritage. The letter was signed by prominent figures, including former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Qureshi, former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Zameeruddin Shah, and former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India R.V. Gupta. These former officials urged the Prime Minister to intervene promptly to prevent such actions.

The letter emphasized the groundlessness of claims that Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, a 12th-century Sufi saint, could have destroyed a temple in the region. The signatories expressed alarm at the rising religious tensions in India, particularly between Hindu and Muslim communities, which have contributed to increasing insecurity among minorities.

The former officials highlighted recent incidents of harassment and violence against Muslims, including mob killings over alleged cow slaughter, boycotts of Muslim businesses, and actions such as denying Muslims housing or demolishing their homes. These developments, they noted, have intensified tensions and fostered a climate of fear and mistrust.

The letter also called on the Prime Minister to instruct state governments to enforce strict adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law, particularly regarding the protection of religious and cultural sites.

This communication follows a court hearing in Ajmer on November 27, where a civil court issued notices to the Dargah Committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India, following a petition by Vishnu Gupta, the national president of Hindu Sena. Gupta’s petition claims that the Ajmer Dargah was originally a Shiva temple.