Worshippers and mosque committee members in Ujjain began removing a section of the Shahi Mosque platform on Tuesday, yielding to a government road-widening plan for the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh after a local high court refused to stop the work.
Why the road is expanding
Madhya Pradesh officials say the carriageway near Chhatri Chowk must be broadened to handle millions of pilgrims expected for the Simhastha festival on the banks of the Kshipra River in 2028. The event, held every 12 years, requires extensive staging areas, security cordons and traffic management across the historic city.
Authorities initially sought more than seven feet of the mosque structure along the street, according to community leaders quoted by Indian media. After negotiations and protests, the committee agreed to remove about three feet of the platform rather than risk a bulldozer-led demolition that worshippers feared could damage the prayer hall itself.
Protests and policing
Tensions escalated on Sunday night when hundreds of Muslims held a vigil outside the mosque. On Monday morning police used tear gas after demonstrators threw stones, media reports said, and at least a dozen people were injured in the clashes. District officials imposed restrictions on gatherings in parts of the city.
A petition asking the court to halt the demolition was dismissed, with judges citing the state's argument that additional road space was necessary for public safety during the Kumbh. Mosque representatives said they chose voluntary dismantling to preserve the main building and avoid a repeat of confrontations seen in other Indian cities where religious structures and infrastructure projects have collided.
Political reactions
Opposition politicians in Bhopal and New Delhi said the state government was prioritising festival logistics over minority rights, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party defended the widening as routine urban planning tied to a nationally significant pilgrimage. A Muslim monitoring group staged a separate protest in New Delhi on Tuesday against what it called a pattern of pressure on mosques and shrines ahead of large Hindu gatherings.
State ministers have not detailed a compensation package for the mosque committee, and local traders worry that prolonged unrest could hurt business in Ujjain's old city during the tourist season leading up to 2028.
What comes next
Engineering crews are expected to finish the road cut once the committee's voluntary work ends, clearing the way for barricade plans and security drills ahead of the Kumbh. Shopkeepers near Chhatri Chowk said foot traffic fell sharply after Monday's clashes, even as pilgrims continued to visit other shrines along the Kshipra.
Community leaders say they will continue legal challenges where possible, but the high court's refusal to grant a stay means the immediate dispute has shifted from the courthouse to the street, where police presence remains heavy and residents are bracing for further demonstrations as election season rhetoric intensifies across Madhya Pradesh.