A portion of a mosque was damaged during the removal of obstructions for road-widening work in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, an official said on Thursday, urging the public to stay away from rumours.
The work is being carried out with mutual cooperation and no one was injured during the removal of the affected part of the mosque located at Chhatri Chowk, Collector Roshan Kumar Singh said in a statement.
Earlier, tensions had flared in the town over 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.
“During the road widening work in Ujjain, some damage has been caused to a portion of the mosque. No one was injured in the incident,” said the collector.
According to the official, the work is being carried out in a peaceful manner.
“The administration is continuously monitoring the situation. Representatives of all religions and communities, as well as local residents, are present at the scene and we are in constant communication with them,” he said.
He also urged the public to rely only on information from authentic sources.
The official also warned that if anyone attempts to disturb the atmosphere by spreading rumours, misleading information or false news through social media or any other medium, strict action will be taken against them as per the law.
According to Additional Superintendent of Police Guru Prasad Parashar, photography and videography have been prohibited within a 500-metre radius to ensure that the movement does not disrupt the work of community members or result in any injuries.
The portion of the mosque being dismantled houses shops on the ground floor, the official said.
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.
According to Ujjain civic body Executive Engineer Rajkumar Rathore, as per the master plan, 2.7 metres of the portion from Chhatri Chowk towards Gopal Mandir and 1.4 metres of the portion at the other end are affected by the road-widening project, for which a notice was issued.
Due to this work, the shops in the area have also been affected. “Since the work is technically sensitive, the people of the community are carrying it out in a phased and safe manner,” the official said.
According to Shahar Qazi Khaliqur Rahman, a Muslim religious leader, their community members are performing all five daily prayers here. 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.
“A portion of the Shahi Mosque at Chhatri Chowk is being voluntarily removed by the community,” an official had said earlier.
(With inputs from PTI)
