Ujjain Shahi Masjid Demolition Row: Police Use Tear Gas as Road-Widening Plan Sparks Tension
A tense situation developed in Ujjain on Monday as police confronted a large crowd at the site of the Shahi Masjid, where part of the mosque has been proposed for demolition as part of a road-widening project. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Videos from the area showed people throwing stones at security personnel, following which police used tear gas to control the crowd. Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were also deployed at the site.
The road-widening project is part of preparations for the Simhastha Mela 2028, a major religious gathering held in Ujjain every 12 years. Authorities are carrying out several infrastructure projects ahead of the event, with 272 structures reportedly marked for demolition to facilitate road and other development works.
The Shahi Masjid has been described by members of the Muslim community as a centuries-old Waqf property. Some accounts date the mosque to around 1390. The current proposal involves the partial demolition of parts of the prayer hall, a minaret and other structures connected with the mosque.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court in Indore had earlier dismissed petitions challenging demolition notices issued by the Ujjain Municipal Corporation. The court cited public interest and traffic requirements linked to preparations for the 2028 Simhastha. A further hearing in the matter was scheduled at the Indore High Court on Monday.
Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi has opposed the proposed demolition of the Shahi Masjid complex and urged the state government to take public sentiments into consideration.
Pratapgarhi said the administrative action should be handled with greater sensitivity, particularly while the legal matter remains before the court. He also urged the authorities to consider acquiring land from the other side of the road for the widening project.
He said many young people in Ujjain had been raising concerns over the issue and argued that a historically significant religious site should not be treated as an ordinary structure during development work.
Meanwhile, Ujjain Municipal Corporation Chairperson Kalawati Yadav highlighted the scale of preparations for the 2028 Simhastha Mela.
She said the city is preparing for millions of devotees and that several major projects are under way, including around 29 kilometres of new ghats, diversion works, dams and other infrastructure projects.
According to the civic authorities, road widening is considered necessary to manage the large number of pilgrims expected to visit Ujjain during the religious gathering.
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