Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Muslim organisation opposing the alleged transformation of the Pir Imamshah Bawa dargah in Pirana village into a Hindu place of worship, deeming the petition “not acceptable” and reprimanding the petitioner for “turning the matter into a communal dispute.”

While dismissing the PIL on grounds of its maintainability, the bench led by Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal remarked, “These are issues created by unscrupulous individuals aiming to incite communal tension. We are not allowing anyone to do this by endorsing it.”

The court found the PIL unacceptable because the petitioner failed to provide satisfactory answers to various questions concerning their legal standing, qualifications, and authorization to file the PIL. It was also noted that the petitioner could not explain why the trustees of the Pir Imamshah Bawa Roza Trust were not included as respondents in the PIL.

The court advised the petitioner to take up the dispute regarding the alleged transformation of the Pirana dargah with the appropriate authority. “This is not a matter for a PIL. You can request to be included in the ongoing petition (filed following the charity commissioner’s order). Do whatever you need to do,” the Chief Justice told the petitioner’s lawyer.

The Sunni Awami Forum had filed the PIL last year, alleging that Hindu trustees of the Pirana dargah were permitting the unauthorized conversion of the Pir Imamshah Bawa Dargah and adjacent Muslim religious sites into Hindu religious structures.

In response, the trust’s side asserted that the dargah is a Hindu place of worship. It stated that the trust was established in 1939 by a civil court order, consisting of seven Sanatani members and three members from the Saiyeds. It was clarified that those who believe in the Pir do not follow Islam, and this practice has been in place since the 16th century. With the exception of the initial leader, all the heads of the trust, referred to as gadipati, are followers of the Hindu faith. This is a unique situation. And the dargah is maintained as a dargah,” the trust further noted. DeshGujarat