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Rajasthan’s home department has proposed expanding entry and exit gates of the 12th-century Muslim saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s shrine in Ajmer, linking its CCTVs to a centre that monitors public safety across the state, and removing encroachments as part of enhanced security measures.
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Mahendra Khinchi, a state home department secretary, said the proposal is based on discussions with the Ajmer collector, police superintendent, the intelligence unit, shrine officials, and the state minority affairs department. “It aims to ensure a more secure and safe passage for the pilgrims throughout the year, and also a better monitoring and protection of such a historic site,” said Khinchi. He added that the proposal is under the Union government’s consideration.
The Union government oversees the shrine’s management through the statutory body Dargah Committee.
The shrine was in the news last year after Hindu Sena leader Vishnu Gupta moved a Rajasthan court claiming a temple existed under it and sought worship rights at the site. Gupta also submitted a memorandum requesting a survey of the shrine, the latest in a series of such pleas related to Muslim places of worship. In 2007, three pilgrims were killed and 15 were injured in a blast at the shrine.
Khinchi said the Union home ministry had also directed the state to probe the “anti-social activities” and the presence of suspected undocumented immigrants in the shrine area.
A majority of the suspected Bangladeshis detained in Rajasthan were found in Ajmer amid a drive in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states to identify undocumented immigrants, even as West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress has alleged the drive was being used to target Bengali-speaking people.
Khinchi said ₹96 crore was expected to be sanctioned for the development of the shrine as per a minority affairs ministry proposal.
A second official said that the shrine has eight gateways, including the primary Nizam Gate, which was built in 1915. He added they have identified two gates that do not have a suitable size to manage the rush, particularly during the annual gathering when most of the pilgrims, including those from abroad, visit. “It may lead to a stampede-like situation any day. We have proposed to renovate and expand two gates.”
He said linking the CCTV cameras to the Abhay Command Centre will help with better monitoring for public safety and crowd control. “Abhay Command Centre is a specialised high-tech control room that uses video surveillance, real-time data, and other advanced technology for better surveillance, mob control, traffic management, and crime detection.”
The home department has also recommended a waiting room for the pilgrims and removal of encroachments. “Ajmer municipality is conducting another survey in the area. It has removed several encroachments. Recently, an eviction drive was conducted in the Taragarh forest area adjacent to the shrine. Nearly 250 shops were removed. More such drives will clear the area, making it safer,” he said.
The department has recommended fixing the drainage issues in the shrine area in coordination with the municipality and conducting a fire audit. The second official said that digital ID proofs for the shrine staff and linking them to the home department portal have also been proposed, apart from thorough frisking of the pilgrims.
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