Desai to march into Haji Ali, AIMIM threatens to smear black ink

April 28, 2016

Mumbai, Apr 28: After scoring victory for women's right to enter Shani Shingnapur and Trimbakeshwar temples, Bhumata Brigade chief Trupti Desai will today try to enter the core area of Haji Ali Dargah in the city where women are not allowed.

A local AIMIM leader said they would not allow Desai to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the renowned Dargah and threatened to smear her face with black ink if she does so.

"We will hold a peaceful march for women's rights at Haji Ali dargah today, pray there and later decide the future course of action," Desai told reporters here.

"I think (Bollywood actors) Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan too should lend us support for our cause as that will only help us in our fight for equality," she said.

However, AIMIM leader Haji Rafat Husain said entering a graveyard is "haram" (forbidden) in Islam, and added that his party supporters will not under any circumstance let Desai enter the shrine's sanctum sanctorum.

Husain also threatened to smear Desai's face with black ink, even if he gets arrested for it."Women are barred from entering graveyards and shrines. She cannot be allowed to play with Islamic traditions for cheap publicity gimmicks. Our women volunteers will be at the shrine to prevent her entry there," Husain told PTI.

"But, if she and her supporters forcefully try to enter the sanctum sanctorum, I will myself paint her face with black ink even if I have to face arrest for the act," he said.

Last week, Shiv Sena leader Haji Arafat Shaikh had said Desai would be hit with "slippers" if she tried to enter the Haji Ali Dargah.

However, after his remarks created a furore in various circles, Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe rejected Shaikh's statement and even warned of action against him.

Desai had recently led a successful campaign for women's entry into the temples like Shani Shignapur in Ahmednagar district and Trimbakeshwar in Nashik.

The Maharashtra government had in February this year favoured the entry of women into the Haji Ali Dargah.

The state government had then said before the Bombay High Court that unless the Dargah Board is able to prove that ban is part of their religious practice with reference to Quran, women should be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali.

The Dargah Board had said that the sanctum sanctorum of the dargah houses the grave of a male saint and in Islam it is sin for women to touch a male saint, and hence, women are barred from touching the tomb.

Comments

First of all there is no place for Dargah or Saint in Islam. if its not belong to Islam no question arise its legal or illegal. Ms Desai you are welcome to enjoy evening at Dargah premises. You are also welcome at Madani Dargah with its sister concerns around the DK.

HaHaHaHaHaHaHa....................................

Dear Brothers & Sisters...

Here some politicians have given reference of Quran about women entry sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali...

First of all being Muslim, i would like to clear all Muslim & non muslims that going to Dargah & praying there itself HARAM. The place where shrine (Khabar) available prayers are not accepted. Some people made dargah as their income source & making fun of Islam.

Being true Muslims everyone should try to destroy this dargah & save our ummha from making shirk..

Person can visit to shrine & pray for those who died. Main purpose of visit to shrines (Khabrastan) is to remember his death.

\Every soul has to taste death\""

Dear sisters why you want to go to dargah, come to masjid its always open for each and every one, in islam there is equality to everyone, but this is dargah created by man not from allah, so if you want equality read quran and hadeeth you will get equality and respect both.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

Comments