While the country is under lockdown and social distancing is being followed, an incident has come forth where over 100 persons congregated at a Dargah in Sarwad in Ajmer on Tuesday.
They had collected to offer chadar during Urs (annual ritual) organised at the Khwaja Fakruddin Dargah.
An FIR has been registered and six persons have been arrested. The area falls under the constituency of health minister of Rajasthan Dr Raghu Sharma.
The Urs is organised annually in the memory of Faqruddin, the son of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti and a chadar is brought from Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah in Ajmer. The administration had given permission to 10 persons to carry on the religious tradition. However over 100 persons gathered there and entered the Dargah to offer the chadar.
Over a 100 gather at Khwaja Fakruddin #Dargah in Sarwad of #Ajmer for religious ritual.
Administration had given permission for 10.
Police get place vacated. FIRs lodged.
6 arrested. 35 identified. More arrests soon. @fpjindia #CoronaUpdate#COVID19#StayHomeChallenge pic.twitter.com/ajQ5uXS7FX— Sangeeta Pranvendra (@sangpran) April 1, 2020
The police warned them and tried to stop them and get them to vacate the premises. However they confronted the police and police had to lathi charge to control the situation. An FIR has been lodged for violating the lockdown orders and disturbing peace. Six persons have been arrested.
According to Kunwar Rashtradeep, SP Ajmer, “The district administration had granted permission to 10 persons to take part in the gusal ki rasam in a low key manner. Five would be from Ajmer dargah from where a chadar was supposed to be brought and five from Sarwad Dargah. It is a huge premises and we had explained to them in detail about how they would have to follow social distancing. However over 70 people climbed over walls to enter the Dargah. Police tried to get it vacated, there was mild lathi charge and we managed to get the place vacated.”
“The gathering was illegal as it was a violation of Section 144. The maulvi and imam did not try to stop them from coming, did not ask them to go, they did not follow their responsibility. We have registered FIR, case has also been registered against the religious leaders on post who did not use their influence to stop the people from coming and did not ask them to disperse. Named FIRs have also been registered against them. Six persons have been arrested. We have identified 30 to 35 people from the videos and more arrests will be made.