Clashes broke out Monday in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain over the partial demolition of Shahi Masjid that falls on the alignment of a road being widened ahead of the 2028 Simhastha. Police fired tear gas shells and lathicharged protesters after stones were pelted at security personnel.
The Ujjain Municipal Corporation says the project required removal of approximately 80 religious structures, portions of temples and a mosque had already been removed. The Muslim community, after initial tension, had greenlit the partial demolition with Madhya Pradesh High Court approval on September 9. The plan: remove a portion that falls within road widening, not the entire mosque.
What lit the fuse was misinformation. Police said a faction of the mosque committee mobilised crowds, some younger members misguided by AI-generated videos falsely showing the entire structure being demolished. Sunday night, thousands formed a human chain around the mosque even as police deployed 2,500 personnel from local stations and Rapid Action Force. At night, Qazi Khalil Qureshi and City Qazi claimed resolution through mutual agreement. But Monday morning, crowds turned violent again.
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By afternoon, the MP High Court, hearing a writ appeal against its own order for partial demolition, was informed that the Muslim side had agreed to cooperate, and disposed of the petition. Despite that, the mosque committee later demolished the identified encroaching portion themselves — a face-saving, cooperative model.
Ujjain SP Pradeep Sharma said investigation has led to 15 arrests. Police have flagged more than 100 Instagram accounts and registered an FIR on complaint of Ujjain City Qazi Rehman. "Every organisation has dissatisfied factions and we anticipated a reaction from a section after monitoring," Sharma said. Police have registered five FIRs against five social media pages or influencers for spreading rumours including a video showing a JCB demolishing the entire mosque.
The property dispute adds complexity. Shahi Masjid's history goes back to Gwalior State. The complex includes prayer hall, ablution facilities, 120-foot minaret and Mazhar Chouk Shahid at the front. Ownership battle between two factions claiming Waqf administration rights continues.
Tags: #Ujjain #ShahiMasjid #MadhyaPradesh #Simhastha2028 #RoadWidening #CommunalTension #AI_Misinformation #MPHighCourt #PoliceAction #WaqfBoard