Volunteers at the historic Shahi Masjid in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain on Monday began manually demolishing around three feet of the mosque’s hanging slab after tensions escalated over a proposed demolition for a road-widening project.
The move came after three nights of a mass vigil by Muslims, with hundreds of people camping inside and outside the mosque to prevent the administration from carrying out the demolition.
Speaking to Maktoob, a resident who wished to remain anonymous, said the mosque’s Numainda Committee and the administration had reached an understanding last night, on 27th September, that three feet of the mosque’s hanging slab, an area where prayers are not offered, would be removed.
“Last night, the Numainda Committee and the administration concluded a mutual understanding that three feet of the mosque’s hanging slab, which was coming in the way of the Mandir view. The committee had agreed to demolish those three feet themselves,” he said.
People had dispersed and went to their respective homes after offering the Fajr prayers on 28th September. However, officials returned to the mosque around 8 am and allegedly threatened to demolish the marked portion immediately.
Police subsequently clashed with people gathered outside the mosque, with tear gas reportedly fired to disperse the crowd.
“A kind of argument started between police and locals; that’s when police resorted to tear gas shelling”, the local said.
“In that meeting, they decided that we would not give the eight-foot area of the mosque, as they are demanding, but we would give them the three-foot area where there is no prayer happening, which is above the shops below. We said we would give you the three-foot area, and we would remove it ourselves”, another resident told Maktoob.
The dispute involves one of the mosque’s minarets.
“As far as the minaret is concerned, we were told that we would give you the minaret, but first we will build a new minaret behind it and then remove the existing one. But the administration was not happy with this,” a local told Maktoob.
Following the meeting, people began gathering at the mosque again after community members felt that the understanding reached with the administration was not being followed.
“At 8 in the morning, as soon as everyone reached their homes, it was immediately reported that the administration had set up barricades all around the mosque area and was coming to demolish the mosque. Bulldozers were also deployed around the mosque along with heavy police force,” he said.
“People learned that the administration was coming to demolish the mosque and had arrived with bulldozers and poclains. The whole crowd gathered there again,” he said.
Then police used tear gas to disperse the gathering.
“It was decided that we would remove the parts ourselves, then why did the bulldozers arrive? “The administration deceived us, and that’s why we were forced to demolish the parts of the mosque ourselves”, the local told Maktoob.
Residents also alleged that officials had given differing assurances over the mosque’s minaret.
Ujjain Superintendent of Police, Pradeep Sharma, told ANI, “The Muslim community and the mosque committee themselves, with full consensus and cooperation, and keeping the upcoming Simhastha 2028 in mind, are demolishing the portion of the mosque that falls within the road-widening zone.”
He added, “However, one group attempted to take advantage of the situation; the deployed force retaliated immediately, using tear gas and a lathi-charge. We have secured the entire perimeter, and surveillance is being maintained everywhere via CCTV cameras and drones.”
He said, “Five individuals from outside the district who came here attempting to disturb the peace were arrested right at the border. We are also taking action against certain content creators who have been continuously posting rumours and inflammatory material from their handles.”
The Shahi Masjid has been marked for partial demolition as part of a road-widening project in Ujjain ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh. The community has opposed the proposed demolition and has maintained a vigil at the mosque for the past two nights.
As of now, the removal of parts of the mosque is in progress, but people are still sitting inside the mosque as they fear that the administration would run bulldozers over it.
“Volunteers are removing the parts agreed upon, the 3-foot hanging slab, but we are still gathered inside the mosque because we can’t trust them; the mosque is still surrounded by the bulldozers. If they get an opportunity, they will bulldoze it,” the local said.
The situation remained tense as residents gathered around the mosque while volunteers began removing the portion marked for demolition themselves, in an attempt to prevent a larger bulldozer operation.