Ujjain road widening turns tense ahead of Simhastha Kumbh 2028
Tension briefly flared in Ujjain on Monday when police used tear gas and mild force to disperse a crowd that allegedly resorted to stone-pelting while protesting the removal of a portion of the Shahi Masjid at Chhatri Chowk for a road-widening project ahead of Simhastha Kumbh 2028.
The road from Kanthal Crossing to Gopal Mandir is being widened to 15 metres to facilitate the movement of pilgrims expected to visit the city for Simhastha. The project involves removing or modifying structures within the proposed road alignment.
Members of the Muslim community and the Shahi Masjid committee agreed to voluntarily remove the portion of the mosque within the proposed widening area after a meeting with the district administration on Sunday night.
Removal work began Monday morning. Ujjain Collector and District Magistrate Roushan Kumar Singh said the work was progressing with community cooperation. He said some people tried to disrupt the process but police brought them under control. Singh appealed to people to ignore rumours and maintain peace.
Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said some people attempted to obstruct the work and later resorted to stone-pelting. Police used tear gas and mild force to disperse the crowd. He said no one was injured. Police arrested some people, while 15 others were detained. Police registered a case against seven people, including some social media influencers accused of sharing inflammatory content and inciting people.
Police have intensified surveillance in the area, with CCTV and drone cameras being used to identify those allegedly involved in stone-pelting. Sharma said police would take legal action against those found responsible. Police also conducted flag marches in the city as a precautionary measure.
Police cordoned off the area around Chhatri Chowk and temporarily restricted movement. Senior police and administrative officials remained on site to monitor the situation.
Ujjain Shahar Qazi Khalil-ur-Rehman and senior members of the Muslim community appealed to people not to believe rumours. Khalil-ur-Rehman said the mosque issue had been resolved through mutual consent during discussions on Sunday night.
The administration said the road-widening exercise is part of preparations for the large influx of devotees during Simhastha. Singh said people from different religious communities were voluntarily cooperating with the development work and removing obstructions falling within the planned road alignment.
