Ujjain standoff: Police resort to lathi charge, tear gas after clashes with protestors over mosque demolition
More than 2,000 police personnel were deployed, and barricades were placed within 500 metres of the mosque to restrict movement.
PTC News Desk: Tension rose in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain on Monday after a large number of Muslims, including women, gathered to protest against the planned partial demolition of a mosque for a road-widening project.
Some stone-pelting was reported, following which police used tear gas to control the crowd. More than 2,000 police personnel were deployed, and barricades were placed within 500 metres of the mosque to restrict movement. Protesters raised slogans against the administration, with many women leading the demonstration.
Part of the city’s Shahi Masjid is located in the area marked for the road-widening work. Earlier, some members of the Muslim community had voluntarily started removing the portion of the mosque that would be affected. However, another group opposed the move and began protesting.
Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi also opposed the proposed demolition and urged the state government to respect the religious sentiments of the community.
"The administrative efforts to demolish the Ujjain Shahi Masjid under the pretext of road widening should be a bit more sensitive. Demolishing a 600-year-old heritage site just for road widening and development in the name of progress is the height of hatred," he was quoted assaying by news agency ANI.
CM also removes part of ancestral house
A day earlier, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav personally removed part of his ancestral home in Ujjain to support the road-widening project. Using a pickaxe, he broke a section of the house that is also expected to be demolished.
Yadav said the house had been associated with all his election campaigns, but added that public representatives should lead by example when it comes to city development.
The ₹9.8-crore project is intended to improve traffic movement in Ujjain ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh. The widening will cover a 730-metre stretch and is expected to affect 272 structures, including religious buildings.