India forces Muslims to dismantle 600-year-old mosque
Authorities sought part of 600-year-old mosque for road expansion ahead of Hindu pilgrimage, forcing Muslims to dismantle section themselves
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Muslims in central India were forced to begin dismantling part of a roughly 600-year-old mosque themselves on Monday after authorities surrounded the site with bulldozers and police used tear gas and batons against people resisting its partial demolition.
The confrontation at Shahi Masjid in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, followed three nights of a mass Muslim vigil against plans to demolish portions of the mosque for a road-widening project linked to preparations for the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh, a major Hindu pilgrimage.
According to Maktoob Media, authorities had sought removal of an eight-foot section, while the Muslim community agreed after negotiations Sunday night to voluntarily dismantle only three feet of an overhanging slab where prayers are not offered.
Residents said Muslims dispersed after dawn prayers Monday believing the agreement would be honored.
Hours later, however, authorities barricaded the mosque and arrived with bulldozers, excavation machinery and a heavy police deployment, prompting people to rush back to protect the structure.
Police then fired tear gas and carried out a baton charge during clashes outside the mosque. Ujjain police chief Pradeep Sharma acknowledged the use of both measures, saying officers acted after a group confronted security forces.
Residents accused the administration of deceiving the community, saying Muslims had agreed to dismantle the three-foot section themselves precisely to prevent authorities from using bulldozers against the mosque.
The dispute also involves one of the mosque’s minarets. Residents said the community had offered to remove the existing minaret after constructing a replacement farther inside the mosque compound, but authorities did not accept that arrangement.
Muslim volunteers ultimately began manually dismantling the agreed section Monday while other worshippers remained inside the mosque, fearing authorities could use the machinery stationed outside to remove a larger portion.
The Shahi Masjid dates to around 1390, according to its imam, making the structure more than six centuries old. The mosque is among hundreds of structures affected by a road-widening project being undertaken before the 2028 Hindu pilgrimage.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court earlier allowed authorities to proceed with partial demolition, accepting the government’s argument that widening the route was necessary to accommodate large numbers of Hindu pilgrims and ease congestion during religious events.
Muslims had nevertheless continued resisting the demolition, with hundreds occupying the mosque over successive nights as bulldozers remained positioned nearby.
Monday’s decision to dismantle part of the structure themselves was aimed at preventing a wider demolition by authorities, residents said.
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