AJMER: A row broke out between the Dargah Committee of the historic shrine of Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti and the Khadim community there over the right to receive offerings after the visit of Bangladeshi President Abdul Muhammad Hamid here today.
After completing rituals, the President of Bangladesh came out of the shrine and called the Dargah Committee president Asrar Ahmed Khan through an official outside the main gate and handed a closed envelope of offerings to Khan for the development of Dargah.
Moments later, when the VIP cavalcade was leaving, the Khadim community and the secretary of Anjuman Committee (body of Khadims), Wahid Angarah Shah shouted at Khan for taking the envelope, saying that only Khadims have right over the Nazrana (offering) and not the DC.
Over 20 Khadims gheraoed Khan and demanded the offerings from him, upon which Khan handed over the envelope to Shah.
"One of the delegation member called me on behalf of the President (of Bangladesh) through ADM and gave me the envelope for the development of the shrine. But the Khadims started claiming the Nazrana and surrounded me and I had to give it to the Anjuman committee," President of the Dargah committee Asrar Ahmed Khan told PTI.
He said that the amount was given to the committee only, for the development of the shrine.
"Khadims have right if the offering is made inside the dome but the envelope was given outside the dargah and specifically to the Dargah committee," he said.
As per the rule, Khadims are only entitled to receive offering made in the sanctum sanctorum.
Angar Shah, Secretary of the Anjuman committee, said that only Khadims have right over the Nazrana.
"There is no point of Dargah committee accepting or claiming the offering. It was for Khadims only," he said.
The Dargah Committee comprising of nine members is nominated by the Central government under the Dargah Khawaja Sahab Act 1955 which allows the Dargah committee to receive offerings for development purpose whereas Nazrana offered to Khadims becomes his personal belonging.
SP, Ajmer, Mahendra Singh said that there was little commotion after the cavalcade left over the claiming of the Nazrana. However, he said that the matter was resolved after the DC President handed over the envelope to the Anjuman committee.