Before Ujjain violence, some local influencers went into rumour overdrive, police say

Madhya Pradesh police are investigating the violent events that led to the partial demolition of the Shahi Masjid in Ujjain. The authorities have accused five local social media influencers of spreading propaganda against the religion on September 27 - the day before the confrontation. The police claim these individuals uploaded reels and videos to Instagram and Facebook, urging people to gather at the mosque site.

Some of the accused include Sajid Khan (Instagram), Imran (Facebook), Gulrez Khan, Billu Pathan, and Arif Pathan. The police FIR alleges that these influencers were protesting at the mosque and attempting to incite public unrest. A faction of the mosque committee, dissatisfied with the demolition, is suspected of mobilizing the crowd.

The situation escalated on Monday morning when a large mob assembled at the mosque, leading to clashes with police and security personnel. Tear gas was used to disperse the crowd, resulting in the arrest of 15 individuals and the filing of eight FIRs across three police stations. Police are also reviewing over 100 Instagram accounts and posts, along with CCTV and drone footage, to further investigate the incident.