Uproar In Morning, Tension At Noon, Uneasy Calm By Evening In MP’s Ujjain

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh - An uneasy calm descended upon Chhatri Chowk on Monday evening as the removal of sections of the Shahi Masjid progressed under a security-heavy atmosphere. The mosque demolition was a result of an agreement reached with the administration for road widening to accommodate Simhastha 2028 celebrations. Discussions were also held to allocate about three feet of road space, remove affected shops, relocate the mosque's large minaret, and find alternative spaces for the shops.

However, tensions flared just hours after stone-pelting erupted near the Shahi Masjid, with Chhatri Chowk remaining eerily quiet. Stones were cleared from the road, shops were shuttered, and police patrolled the area. Debris lay scattered outside the mosque, where community members utilized chisels and hammers to dismantle walls and metal grilles from the affected section.

Police arrived early on Monday and installed barricades; workers entered the mosque around 8.15 am and began dismantling work at approximately 9.15 am. By 9.45 am, around 100 people gathered at Tanki Chowk, chanting against the demolition and attempting to breach the barricades. Police responded by firing tear gas and using batons to disperse the crowd.

Stone-pelting resumed at 10.30 am and 3 pm, but police regained control by 12.30 pm, allowing work at the mosque to continue. The unrest spread throughout Chhatri Chowk and neighboring markets, with traders shuttering their shops and customers avoiding the area. A cloth trader in Chhatri Chowk stated, "Road widening is necessary, but arrangements should also be made so that the market and businesses are not affected during the work."

The widening project is part of Simhastha 2028 preparations, with the road between Koyla Phatak and Gopal Mandir being expanded from 12 to 15 meters. Eight religious structures within the project area had already been removed and relocated without issue. In total, 323 houses and 15 religious structures fall under the widening scope.

The administration informed that 12 religious structures had been dismantled. At Chhatri Chowk, a section of the Shahi Masjid measuring approximately 4.5 by 9 feet is within the planned road width. Members of the Muslim community objected to its removal, arguing that the road could be widened on the opposite side by taking part of a hotel.

They contend that the mosque is over 100 years old, with documents confirming its age surpasses 100 years. The High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Shahi Masjid committee on Monday afternoon. This is not the first instance of similar objections; during an earlier attempt to remove portions of Madina Mosque and Jamiyatul Quresh Kassaban Mosque in the KD Gate area, members of the Muslim community clashed with officials wielding a JCB machine about 27 days prior.