Kiren Rijiju offers 'chadar' at Ajmer Sharif Dargah on PM Modi's behalf

The minister also launched the web portal of the dargah, the 'Garib Nawaz' app for pilgrims and an operations manual for the conduct of 'Urs'.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday offered a ceremonial 'chadar' sent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ajmer Dargah on the 'Urs' of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

At the dargah, he read out the prime minister's message which called on people from across religions to work together in harmony.

The minister also launched the web portal of the dargah, the 'Garib Nawaz' app for pilgrims and an operations manual for the conduct of 'Urs'. Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is also known as Garib Nawaz.

"Today I have come to the dargah with Prime Minister Modi's 'chadar'. I have had the good fortune of coming here to Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah. I prayed for peace," Rijiju told reporters after presenting the 'chadar'.

"The message from Ajmer Dargah goes to the whole world. Along with presenting the prime minister's 'chadar', I read out his message," he said.

In his message, the prime minister has said that every sect and every religion should come together and work together for the country, society and world peace, the minister said.

Lakhs of people come here and they should get a chance to offer prayers peacefully, especially the elderly, women and children, he said.

"There should be a system for that. A manual has been launched for that and I will try to provide all possible help from my ministry to improve the system," he said.

"Come here and feel how much impact the dargah has on our lives," he added.

Representatives from the dargah committee, 'khadims' and other stakeholders were present on the occasion.

Elaborate security arrangements were made for the visit of the minister, who took a flight to Jaipur and then proceeded to Ajmer by road. He was received by the BJP's state minority morcha leaders at the airport.

"On this auspicious occasion of Urs, we want that a good atmosphere should be created in the country. No one should do anything that can affect the harmony of our country," Rijiju told reporters at the airport.

Be it a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Parsi, Buddhist or Jain, everyone is welcome at the dargah, he said.

Asked about a petition in a local court claiming that the dargah has been built over a Shiva temple, Rijiju said, "I have just come to offer 'chadar'." "I have not come here to show or tell anyone, I am going with the message (of PM) for the country that all the people in our country should stay well," he said.

In November, a court in Ajmer admitted a petition claiming that the dargah was built over a Shiva temple and issued notices to the Ajmer dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India.

Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta, who filed the petition, had called on the PM to not send a 'chadar' this time.

'Urs' is held at the Ajmer Dargah to commemorate the death anniversary of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. The prime minister has been annually sending a 'chadar' to the dargah.