The Dargah Committee has reached the Supreme Court to stop the worship of Mahashivratri at Ladley Mashayak Dargah in Kalaburagi, Karnataka. The committee has demanded that worship should not be allowed in the premises. He says that through this an attempt is being made to change the religious nature of the Dargah. On Wednesday (February 11, 2025), the matter was placed before the bench headed by the Chief Justice. He said that it will be posted for hearing.
Main arguments of the petition
The petitioner argues that in the last few years, puja is being performed there on Shivratri due to the orders of the High Court. Apart from this, efforts are also being made to change the religious character of the place in a planned manner. For this, different interim orders are being obtained from the court. Senior advocate Vibha Dutt Makhija, appearing for the petitioner, demanded an urgent hearing on the matter before Mahashivratri to be held on February 15.
Supreme Court’s comment
During the hearing of the case, Chief Justice Surya Kant expressed concern over the tendency for every case to come directly to the Supreme Court. He said, ‘Why is every case coming directly to the Supreme Court these days under Article 32? This sends a message as if the High Courts have become inactive. However, the Chief Justice has said to consider the petition and explore the possibility of hearing it soon. At present no ban has been imposed on puja.
What is the controversy?
This place, also known as Aland Dargah, is said to be associated with the 14th century Sufi saint Hazrat Sheikh Alauddin Ansari. At the same time, the Hindu side says it is related to the 15th century saint Raghav Chaitanya. There is also a Shivalinga in the complex which is called Raghav Chaitanya Shivalinga. In the year 2022, there was communal violence here over the right to worship. In 2025, the Karnataka High Court had given permission to 15 people to perform puja from 2 to 6 pm amid tight security.
