BHOPAL: Tensions flared in Ujjain on Monday morning as police used tear gas and mild force to disperse protesters who allegedly hurled stones while opposing the removal of a portion of the centuries-old Shahi Masjid for a road-widening project ahead of Simhastha Kumbh 2028.
The violence came hours after the mosque committee and Muslim religious leaders had reportedly agreed overnight to remove the portion of the mosque falling within the proposed road alignment themselves, instead of allowing the administration to carry out the demolition.
Later on Monday, the Madhya Pradesh High Court's Indore bench disposed of two appeals filed by the Muslim side after the petitioners told the court that the matter had been settled with the Ujjain Municipal Corporation.
The bench comprising Justices Subodh Abhyankar and Jai Kumar Pillai also said the assurances given by the civic body in its response and interim notice in the Shahi Masjid case would be binding on the corporation.
However, the Ujjain Municipal Corporation's lawyer avoided using the word "settlement" during the hearing. He told the court that the appellants had agreed on Sunday to remove the portions obstructing the proposed road themselves and had begun doing so on Monday morning.
The lawyer said less than 10 per cent of the Shahi Masjid would be affected by the road-widening work and that more than 80 religious sites, most of them temples, were already being removed as part of the project. The state government has sanctioned around Rs 9.8 crore for the larger road-widening exercise, which is expected to affect 272 structures, including religious sites.
The road from Kanthal crossing to Gopal Mandir, a roughly 900-metre stretch, is being widened to 15 metres to facilitate the movement of pilgrims during the Simhastha Kumbh 2028.
According to Kuldeep Pathak, the lawyer representing one of the Muslim parties, the agreement involved removing around three feet of the mosque, compared with approximately 9.5 feet that the administration had initially sought to remove. He also said the mosque's minaret portion would be relocated within the building and that the civic body had assured the management of alternative shops in place of those on the ground floor of the mosque complex.
The court was also shown videos presented by the state government in support of its submissions.
The morning's violence occurred around 10.15 am in the Chhatri Chowk area, when a group of men gathered at Anda Gali, around 100 metres from the mosque. When police tried to disperse them, several groups, mostly youngsters, allegedly began pelting stones at the barricaded area from narrow lanes.
Police used tear gas and mild force to disperse the crowd. Crime Branch Inspector Pushpa Panchal sustained an injury to her hand while attempting to stop a group of women protesting with metal sheets.
A separate group of women had gathered at Makodiya Aam Naka on Agar Road, around 5 km from central Ujjain, blocking a route used by devotees travelling towards the Mahakal Temple and other temples. Police were deployed to clear the road.
Ujjain Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said some people had attempted to create a disturbance and were dealt with after police first tried to persuade them to cooperate.
“Some anti-social elements tried to vitiate the atmosphere by blocking the road and pelting stones. They were dealt with firmly. The situation is under control,” Sharma said.
The SP said no one was injured in the incident. Some people have been arrested and 15 others detained, while a case has been registered against seven people, including around five social media influencers who allegedly shared inflammatory statements and incited people.
Sharma said CCTV and drone footage was being used to identify those involved in the stone-pelting and that legal action would follow. Police were also conducting flag marches in the city, he said.
Around 2,500 police and Rapid Action Force personnel have been deployed in the affected and other communally sensitive areas of Ujjain.
Ujjain Shahar Qazi Khali Kurre Rehman appealed for calm, saying the mosque issue had been resolved on Sunday night through mutual consent. He urged people not to gather at the spot unnecessarily and cautioned them against rumours.
Ujjain Collector Roshan Singh said the road-widening work was being undertaken to accommodate the large number of devotees expected during Simhastha Kumbh and that structures were being removed in accordance with 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,” Singh 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,” he said.
The Shahi Masjid, claimed to be around 100 years old, had been at the centre of a legal dispute after the Ujjain Municipal Corporation marked a portion of it for removal as part of the road-widening exercise.
On September 9, a single-judge bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court headed by Justice Sandeep N Bhatt dismissed petitions challenging the proposed removal of the portion falling within the road alignment.
The Muslim side subsequently challenged the order before the Indore bench through two writ appeals. On Monday, the appeals were disposed of after the petitioners informed the court that an agreement had been reached with the Ujjain Municipal Corporation.
The road-widening work is part of preparations for Simhastha 2028. 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, saying public servants should be the first to set an example when it comes to city development.
(With inputs from PTI)