Ajmer dargah Deewan Zainul Abedin Ali Khan declares son as successor amid protests

JAIPUR: The Deewan of the Ajmer Dargah, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, has declared his son Nasiruddin Chisti as his rightful successor, amid objections from some caretakers of the 12th-century shrine in Rajasthan.

He made the declaration last night at a traditional ceremony during the Urs of Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, which ends Monday.

The deewan is the spiritual head of the shrine.

However, some of the khadims or caretakers raised objections to Khan's decision and did not allow the father-son duo to enter together the dargah's sanctum sanctorum to perform a ritual last night.

#Ajmer: How can they stop the head priest from entering the Dargah? This is hooliganism, even the administration is helpless. They have locked us out: Naseeruddin Ali, son of head priest after protests against head priest appointing son as successor. #Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/Xb6CSBqE2X

— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2018

Khan wanted to perform some ritual and wanted to enter the sanctorum along with his son Chisti, but the duo was stopped, police said.

"There was some issue between Deewan Khan and the khadims. Khan wanted to entre the sanctum sanctorum with his son, but were not allowed by the caretakers. The police had to intervene," police official said today.

Later, early today after discussion, the khadims opened the gates and the father-son duo returned to the sanctum sanctorum, police said.

"Other rituals and functions were not affected normally," Superintendent of Police, Ajmer, Rajendra Singh said.