Police weigh in after political bickering over dargah repair

Jaipur: Police were deployed near an under-construction dargah close to Chandpole Gate and the nearby Shri Parkota Ganesh temple Monday after a political row erupted over reconstruction work near the Walled City. The controversy followed a heated verbal exchange Sunday between Hawa Mahal BJP MLA Balmukundacharya and Kishanpole Congress MLA Amin Kagzi at the site, prompting the administration to step up security as a precaution. Clarifying the Jaipur Municipal Corporation's position, Kishanpole zone executive engineer Hemaram Dhaka said the reconstruction work was carried out as per prescribed norms. He said the contractor, M/s Godh Builders, was instructed three days earlier to maintain the mandatory distance required under heritage wall regulations. "There was no major violation during the reconstruction. However, some bamboo supports came 5 to 7 feet closer to the heritage wall, and we asked the contractor to remove those," Dhaka said, adding that an official notice was issued to the builder after the dispute between the MLAs. Dhaka said the work involved replacing a rusted tin shed with a permanent roof and was sanctioned through a work order of around Rs 18 lakh from Kagzi's MLA LAD fund. He said the work would remain halted until the administration takes a final decision. Locals criticised the work stoppage. Chandpole resident Raza Mohammad said Kagzi had earlier used MLA LAD funds for works at Hanuman and Ganesh temples and that the dargah roof repair was similar. "There was no problem earlier. Why should the Hawa Mahal MLA intervene now?" Mohammad said. Another resident, Ayub Qureshi, said the tin shed had deteriorated and that describing the decades-old dargah and mosque as an encroachment was unfair. In response, MLA Balmukundacharya, defended his actions by claiming he was alerted by members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal regarding the alleged illegal expansion of the ancient structure. He asserted that the construction was damaging to the heritage character of the city and insisted that the ongoing work violated court orders. "Any construction near the heritage wall without permission is a violation," the BJP MLA said, stressing that the area had become a focal point for potential unrest between communities. Contrastingly, Congress MLA Kagzi dismissed the allegations from Balmukundacharya as mere political theatrics, asserting that the project was simply a replacement of the old tin shed rather than any significant reconstruction. "The work has been stopped for now and will resume only after verification of the MLA LAD funded project," Kagzi said.