Indian court allows century-old mosque removal for Hindu pilgrimage
Ruling puts Muslim prayer space and minaret at risk for Hindu pilgrimage project amid growing concerns over targeting of Muslim religious sites
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Part of a century-old mosque in India can be demolished to make way for a wider road serving millions of Hindu pilgrims after a court rejected Muslim efforts to protect the place of worship, adding to concerns over Muslim religious properties being sacrificed for Hindu-centered redevelopment projects.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed two petitions challenging plans by authorities in Ujjain to remove portions of Shahi Masjid, including structures used for worship, as the city prepares for the massive Simhastha Kumbh Hindu pilgrimage in 2028, according to Live Law.
The decision means infrastructure created to accommodate an overwhelmingly Hindu religious gathering could come at the physical expense of a longstanding Muslim place of worship — a particularly sensitive outcome amid India’s continuing controversies over bulldozer demolitions affecting Muslims and legal or administrative challenges to mosques.
Shahi Masjid is a registered waqf property located almost opposite Mahakaleshwar Temple and near the Kshipra River. Municipal authorities want to widen the adjoining road to 15 meters before the pilgrimage, scheduled from March 27 to May 27, 2028.
The proposed demolition could affect part of the Jamat Khana, where Muslims gather for prayer, ablution facilities, Mazhar Chouk Shahi and a 120-foot minaret, according to those administering the mosque.
Muslim petitioners argued that improving infrastructure for a Hindu religious event could not override their constitutional right to practice their faith at a centuries-old mosque.
Justice Sandeep N. Bhatt, however, found that authorities had followed required procedures and rejected claims that the action violated constitutional protections covering equality, religious freedom, management of religious affairs and property.
The judgment specifically cited the expectations of millions of Hindu devotees, traffic management, public safety and the mosque’s proximity to Mahakaleshwar Temple while finding the municipal action justified in the “larger public interest.”
The ruling means part of a longstanding Muslim place of worship can be removed to accommodate infrastructure for millions of Hindu pilgrims, underscoring concerns over majoritarian priorities overriding Muslim religious rights.
The mosque’s administrators also dispute any suggestion that its presence can simply be treated as a removable obstruction.
Documents they cited include a 1925 letter from the Town Improvement Trust under the Gwalior government directing that the remaining portion of the mosque be kept intact after an earlier land acquisition. A 1985 state gazette also records the mosque and its dimensions.
The management says Muslims voluntarily surrendered some of its land in 1975 to ease traffic.
Ujjain is not an isolated case. In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, portions of six mosques were earlier demolished during a 2.24 billion Indian rupee road-widening project intended partly to improve access to Kashi Vishwanath Dham for Hindu pilgrims. Around 180 shops and homes were also affected, many belonging to Muslims.
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