Road-widening project: Stone-pelting against mosque demolition in MP's Ujjain

UJJAIN: A group of people hurled stones at police while protesting against the proposed demolition of a portion of a mosque for a road-widening project in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain city on Monday, officials said.

The protest took place ahead of a hearing in Madhya Pradesh High Court on a petition on the proposed demolition of a portion of the Shahi Masjid for a project to widen a key 900-metre stretch to ease movement of pilgrims during the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh 2028.

The road from Kanthal crossing to Gopal Mandir is being widened to 15 metres, and the project involves removal or modification of structures falling within the proposed alignment.

Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma told reporters that some people attempted to create disturbance, following which police tried to persuade them to cooperate and subsequently used mild force to disperse them.

The SP said police used tear gas and mild force to control the situation but no one was injured in the incident.

He said some people have been arrested and 15 other detained, while a case has been registered against seven individuals, including some social media influencers who shared inflammatory statements and incited people.

Sharma said that those posting such messages on social media are being continuously monitored.

"CCTV cameras have been installed and drone cameras are also monitoring the area. Through these cameras, those involved in the stone-pelting are being identified, and legal action will be taken," the SP said.

The police force is conducting flag marches in the city, Sharma informed, adding the situation is peaceful.

The Ujjain administration and Ujjain Shahar Qazi Khalil-ur-Rehman appealed to the public to ignore any rumours.

Khalil-ur-Rehman said the mosque issue was resolved on Sunday night through mutual consent.

"I appeal to everyone not to pay attention to any kind of rumour or come to the spot unnecessarily because of these rumours," he said.

Ujjain Collector Roshan Singh said construction work is underway to accommodate a large number of devotees expected to attend the Simhastha Kumbh, and roads are being widened as per the master plan.

"The good thing is that people belonging to all religious communities are voluntarily contributing to the event. They are voluntarily removing any obstructions to their homes and religious places," he said.

"A portion of the Shahi Mosque at Chhatri Chowk is being voluntarily removed by the community. I appeal to everyone to ignore any rumours and maintain peace," the official said.

On September 9, the High Court dismissed petitions challenging the proposed removal of the portion of the Shahi Masjid falling within the road alignment.

The HC on Monday disposed of two appeals filed by the Muslim side after petitioners stated that the matter is settled between them and the Ujjan civic body.

The Indore bench comprising Justices Subodh Abhyankar and Jai Kumar Pillai disposed of the petitioners' separate appeals after they stated that a settlement had been reached between them and Ujjain Municipal Corporation regarding the removal of obstructions to the mosque.

The Shahi Masjid in Ujjain is claimed to be approximately 100 years old.

The road-widening exercise is part of a larger project in Ujjain, under which 272 structures, including religious sites, are set to be affected.

The state government has sanctioned around Rs 9.8 crore for the project.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday used a pickaxe to begin removing a portion of his ancestral house in Ujjain to kick off the road-widening work. When it comes to city development, public servants should be the first to set an example, Yadav said.