Road widening work was going on in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh for preparations for Simhastha Kumbh 2028. Meanwhile, the campaign to remove a part of the Shahi Mosque turned into tension and violent clashes on 28 September.
A large number of people gathered around the mosque located at Chhatri Chowk. The crowd clashed with the police and the police released tear gas shells to control the situation. After this, a large number of police forces were deployed in the area.
However, the dispute was not about removing the entire mosque. A part of the proposed 15 meter alignment of the road widening had to be removed.
After talks between the administration and the mosque committee late on Sunday night, it was agreed to remove the affected area itself. However, on Monday morning a large number of people gathered around the mosque and clashed with the police.
What is the history of the Shahi Masjid, a part of which came under the influence of road widening and for which till now heavy police force has been deployed in Ujjain? When was this mosque built, who built it and what do old documents tell about it?
In a document of the Waqf Board related to the history of the mosque, the year of its construction is recorded as 1390. BBC has seen this document. In this document, the mosque has been recorded as Shahi Masjid and it has been said that it was built with the 'cooperation and donations of the people of the Muslim community'. According to the years recorded in this record, the history of the mosque is about 636 years old.
In the petition filed by the Mosque Committee in the court to stay the action, a document of 1925 was submitted as a record of history in which the existence of the mosque is recorded even in those times. Indore historian and conservation expert Zafar Ansari connects the Shahi Masjid to the Sultanate period of the Malwa region before the Mughal period.
According to an important document of 1925, in a letter issued by the Chairman of the Town Improvement Trust of the then Gwalior State, the mosque has been called 'Mochiyan Ki Masjid'. In the same letter, it has also been said that some land belonging to the mosque will be taken to repair the square and the road.
A map of May 4, 1946 is also included in the documents given in the court by the mosque management. According to the mosque side, the position of the Royal Mosque has been shown in this map. The Shahi Masjid is recorded in the Waqf records as 'Waqf Masjid Panch Mochiyan (Shahi Masjid)'.
The mosque side had raised questions on the action citing Articles 14, 25, 26 and 300A of the Constitution. However, on September 9, Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected the first petition of the mosque side and said that it is necessary to follow the master plan.
This entire incident is directly related to the preparations for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela to be held in 2028. As part of the preparations for Simhastha 2028 in Ujjain, road widening and other construction works are going on in many areas. Under this road widening campaign, the ancestral house of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has also been affected.
Ujjain Collector Roshan Singh said, 'For the preparations of Simhastha 2028, widening of roads and other construction works are going on as per the master plan. People of all religions and communities are willingly cooperating in this.
