A significant legal challenge has emerged against a long-standing tradition involving the Prime Minister of India. A plea has been formally filed in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain Prime Minister Narendra Modi from offering a 'chadar' at the revered Ajmer Sharif Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
What Does the Petition Claim?
The core argument of the petition is that the practice, which sees the sitting Prime Minister present a ceremonial cloth at the Sufi shrine, lacks any legal or constitutional foundation. It contends that this tradition, while historically observed, does not have the backing of Indian law.
The plea traces the origin of this practice back to the country's first Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, who initiated it in 1947. Since that pivotal year, every successive Prime Minister has continued the ritual, making it an unofficial part of the office's engagements.
The Historical Context and Current Challenge
The Ajmer Dargah is one of the most important Sufi pilgrimage sites in South Asia, attracting millions of devotees annually. The offering of a chadar by national leaders has been widely seen as a symbol of India's secular fabric and its respect for all faiths.
However, the petitioner argues that this symbolic act needs to be examined through a strict constitutional lens. The filing, reported by journalist Ashish Tripathi and dated 22 December 2025, pushes for a judicial review of a tradition that has persisted for over seven decades without explicit legal sanction.
Potential Implications and National Debate
This legal move is poised to spark a major debate on several fronts:
- The intersection of state practices and religious symbolism.
- The constitutional limits on the actions of the Prime Minister.
- The preservation of historical traditions versus strict legal adherence.
The outcome of this petition could set a significant precedent. It may redefine the boundaries for ceremonial actions performed by holders of constitutional offices, especially those with religious connotations. The Supreme Court's decision, whenever it comes, will be closely watched for its impact on India's political customs and its interpretation of secularism.
As the legal process unfolds, the nation awaits the judiciary's view on whether a tradition started by Nehru and followed by all his successors requires formal constitutional validation to continue.
