Amid several instances that emerged after Tamilnadu village was occupied by the Waqf board, another land jihad matter has emerged in which a 2300-year-old Ashokan edict in Sasaram, Bihar, was converted into a Mazar. The Ashokan edict which is a more than 2300-year-old historical place has evolved over time into a Mazar, where prayers are offered and the yearly Islamic Urs festival is held. The edict was designated a protected monument by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) in 2008.

The District Magistrate was required to remove the encroachments surrounding the Ashoka edict by the ASI in 2008, 2012, and 2018 respectively (DM). The District Magistrate then gave the Sasaram SDM the go-ahead to make the necessary decisions. The Markazi Muharram Committee, which had trespassed on the property, had been told by the SDM to immediately turn over the key to the administration, but the committee refused. There, a big unlawful construction was gradually built.

This inscription was uncovered in 1917, under the British Raj. The district government has received more than 20 letters from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) asking them to keep things as they are at this site; yet, efforts are being made to remove any signs of this monument.

The edict is inscribed in a natural cave on Chandan Hill in the Kaimur Hill Range. It’s in Sasaram, the administrative center for the Rohtas District. It has been embossed in the Brahmi script and is one of the eight edicts in the nation. Being the only one in Bihar is notable.

As per the reports, an illegal structure has been built all around the inscription. After being coated with white lime, the writing has now been transformed into a Mazar by being covered with a green cloth. There is also an annual Urs organized because it has been designated as a Sufi saint’s tomb. In the wake of this illegal construction, the monument’s gate is kept locked.

It was discovered in January of this year that a mosque was being built inside the famous Raigad fort illegally. In his letter, Yuvraj Sambhaji said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s supporters had alerted him about the mosque’s construction on the grounds of Raigad Fort. He also made a point of the fact that building such structures near significant historical sites was prohibited. It is regrettable that illegal construction activities are permitted in such a famous location as the Raigad Fort, he said.

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