Mosque razing turns flashpoint in Ujjain, stones thrown, protesters tear-gassed
Tension gripped Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain on Monday morning as members of the Muslim community, including women, gathered in large numbers as authorities prepared to partially demolish a mosque for a road-widening project.
Sporadic incidents of stone-throwing were reported, with cops seen firing tear gas to control the situation.
More than 2,000 police personnel were deployed in the area, with barricades placed within 500 metres of the religious structure to restrict movement.
Protesters raised slogans against the administration, with women brought to the forefront of the demonstration.
A portion of the city's Shahi Masjid falls in the way of the road-widening work.
Earlier, one group from the Muslim community had started removing the affected part of the mosque on their own. However, another group later opposed the voluntary demolition and staged a protest.
Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi has opposed the planned demolition of the mosque complex. He called on the state government to respect the community's religious sentiments.
"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.
The parliamentarian added, "It has come to my notice that when the matter is pending in court, what message does the administration intend to send by repeatedly laying siege to the masjid? Thousands of youth in Ujjain are continuously raising their voices on this issue."
He called on the administration to "respect public sentiments" and "acquire the necessary land for road widening from the other side."
Pratapgarhi said the demolition of the "historically significant heritage site" could not be considered a normal measure under "any circumstances."
The Rs 9.8-crore road-widening project is aimed at easing traffic in Ujjain for the Simhastha Kumbh pilgrimage in 2028. As many as 272 structures, including religious sites, are set to be affected by the widening of a 730-metre stretch.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav dug up a section of his ancestral home in the city to make way for the initiative. He used a pickaxe to dig up a portion of his ancestral home, part of which will be demolished for the project.- Ends(With inputs from agencies)
Ravish Pal Singh is working with the India Today group in Bhopal bureau. He has made his own identity in political coverage, ground reports and crime reporting. He has been continuously contributing to TV, digital and web media for the last several years. Ravish is known for his in-depth, impartiality and detailed analysis in reporting on politics, political upheaval, unemployment, administrative negligence, reality of government schemes, corruption and high-profile crime incidents in Madhya Pradesh.
• Keen eye on political upheaval: During the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, he has closely covered the interviews of big leaders, political equations and change of power.
• Coverage of high-profile crime cases: His reporting has been appreciated in many famous murder, scams and police investigation cases of Madhya Pradesh. His coverage of the arrest of Uttar Pradesh's notorious gangster Vikas Dubey from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh has also been appreciated.
• Grassroots journalism: Ground reporting on floods, agitations, unemployment and social issues, where his news had a real impact.
Key interviews: Amit Shah, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Kamal Nath, Mohan Yadav, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijay Singh, Uma Bharti, Babulal Gaur, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Sachin Pilot, Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, actor Sanjay Dutt.
In April 2022, he was selected among 40 young journalists of the country who made their mark with their coverage and whose news had a big impact. For this, he also received the Samachar for Media 40 Under 40 Journalism Award in Delhi.
