Ajmer Dargah attack
Encyclopedia
The Ajmer Dargah attack (also called the Ajmer Sharif blast) occurred on 11 October 2007, outside the Dargah
(shrine) of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti
in Ajmer
, Rajasthan
, India
, after the Iftar
period had started. Investigations initially circled around the Islamist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba
, based in Pakistan
, and later focussed on the alleged involvement of Saffron Terror
groups behind the blast.
in Ajmer. Evening prayers had just concluded before the end of the fasting month of Ramadan
and a crowd had gathered outside the shrine to end their fast
.
The bomb had been concealed in a Tiffin carrier
, which workers typically used to store their lunch. The blast killed three people and injured 17. Remnants of a mobile phone
were retrieved from the site. Lalit Maheswari of the Ajmer police stated, "We have recovered some mobile instruments, so we think some sophisticated device was used ..."
. The media initially characterised the attack as part of the conflict between ultra-conservative Islamic extremists against Islamic traditions popular in India.
On 22 October 2010, five suspects, who had been arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of India, were charged with conspiracy in connection to the bombing. Four of the five suspects were alleged to be connected to the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
.
Government investigations concluded that outfits, such as Abhinav Bharat
, may have actually been behind the blast. leader Swami Aseemanand
claimed that the perpetrators of the attack allegedly included two Muslim boys he had procured from the Inter-Services Intelligence
of Pakistan. Aseemanand also accused Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the plan, which was allegedly conceived to avenge Islamic attacks on Hindu temples. Aseemanand said that the attack was intended to deter followers from the shrine, which is visited by Muslim pilgrims as well as Hindu
s and Sikh
s as a symbol of intercommunal harmony.
Other individuals accused in the attack is Bharat Bhai alias Bharat Rateshwar, a Hindutva
extremist who is alleged to have finances the terrorist attacks at Ajmer and Mecca Masjid blasts. He has alleged to implicated BJP MP Adityanath Yogi for funding Hindu extremists and plan terrorist attacks in India.
Dargah
A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...
(shrine) of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti
Moinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
in Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, after the Iftar
Iftar
Iftar , refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib time...
period had started. Investigations initially circled around the Islamist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba – also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar Taiba or LeT – is one of the largest and most active militant Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan.It was founded by Hafiz Muhammad...
, based in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and later focussed on the alleged involvement of Saffron Terror
Saffron Terror
Saffron terror is a controversial phrase used to describe acts of Right-wing terrorism in India, allegedly inspired by Hindu nationalism. The phrase "saffron terror" is a neologism which entered public debate in India following the 29 September 2008 western India bombings.The Home Minister of...
groups behind the blast.
Attack
At 6.12 pm on 11 October 2007, an explosion occurred near a courtyard outside of the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin ChishtiMoinuddin Chishti
Sultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
in Ajmer. Evening prayers had just concluded before the end of the fasting month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
and a crowd had gathered outside the shrine to end their fast
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
.
The bomb had been concealed in a Tiffin carrier
Tiffin carrier
Tiffin carriers or dabbas are a kind of lunch box used widely in India for tiffin meals. They were also used in Singapore and Malaysia during the 1950s-60s, and were known as tingkat. Normally they come in two to three tiers. Tiffin carriers are opened by unlocking a small catch on either side of...
, which workers typically used to store their lunch. The blast killed three people and injured 17. Remnants of a mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
were retrieved from the site. Lalit Maheswari of the Ajmer police stated, "We have recovered some mobile instruments, so we think some sophisticated device was used ..."
Investigations
The blast was quickly blamed on Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-TaibaLashkar-e-Taiba
Lashkar-e-Taiba – also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Lashkar Taiba or LeT – is one of the largest and most active militant Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia, operating mainly from Pakistan.It was founded by Hafiz Muhammad...
. The media initially characterised the attack as part of the conflict between ultra-conservative Islamic extremists against Islamic traditions popular in India.
On 22 October 2010, five suspects, who had been arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of India, were charged with conspiracy in connection to the bombing. Four of the five suspects were alleged to be connected to the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
.
Government investigations concluded that outfits, such as Abhinav Bharat
Abhinav Bharat
Abhinav Bharat can refer to two organizations one of which is an Hindu nationalist organisation based mainly in Maharashtra in India. The Hindu nationalist organization gained prominence when its members were arrested for allegedly perpetrating the Malegoan bombing...
, may have actually been behind the blast. leader Swami Aseemanand
Swami Aseemanand
Swami Aseemanand is a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist from India who is accused of planning terror attacks on Ajmer Sharif, Mecca Masjid, 2006 Malegaon blasts and 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings. The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Aseemanand on November 19, 2010 for his...
claimed that the perpetrators of the attack allegedly included two Muslim boys he had procured from the Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
of Pakistan. Aseemanand also accused Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the plan, which was allegedly conceived to avenge Islamic attacks on Hindu temples. Aseemanand said that the attack was intended to deter followers from the shrine, which is visited by Muslim pilgrims as well as Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s and Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s as a symbol of intercommunal harmony.
Other individuals accused in the attack is Bharat Bhai alias Bharat Rateshwar, a Hindutva
Hindutva
Hindutva is the term used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. Members of the movement are called Hindutvavādis.In India, an umbrella organization called the Sangh Parivar champions the concept of Hindutva...
extremist who is alleged to have finances the terrorist attacks at Ajmer and Mecca Masjid blasts. He has alleged to implicated BJP MP Adityanath Yogi for funding Hindu extremists and plan terrorist attacks in India.
See also
- 2006 Malegaon blasts2006 Malegaon blastsThe 2006 Malegaon bombings were a series of bomb blasts that took place on 8 September 2006 in Malegaon, a town in the Nashik district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, located at some 290 km to the northeast of state capital Mumbai....
- 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings2007 Samjhauta Express bombingsThe 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings were a terrorist attack that occurred around midnight on 18 February 2007 on the Samjhauta Express, a twice-weekly train service connecting Delhi, India, and Lahore, Pakistan. Bombs were set off in two carriages, both filled with passengers, just after the train...
- 2008 Malegoan & Modasa bombing29 September 2008 western India bombingsIn the 29 September 2008 Western India bombings, three bombs exploded in the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra of India killing 8 persons and injuring 80...
- List of terrorist incidents, 2007
- Saffron TerrorSaffron TerrorSaffron terror is a controversial phrase used to describe acts of Right-wing terrorism in India, allegedly inspired by Hindu nationalism. The phrase "saffron terror" is a neologism which entered public debate in India following the 29 September 2008 western India bombings.The Home Minister of...
External links
- In the words of a zealot…. TehelkaTehelkaTehelka is an Indian weekly political magazine under the editorship of Tarun Tejpal known for its undercover exposé style of journalism. Its cover price is Rs 20 per issue. The publication began in 2000 as a news website, Tehelka.com...
. 15 January 2011.