Story perspectives

Police fire tear gas as Shahi Masjid demolition begins

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC · How we work

Center

Court Backs Road Expansion

Protesters clashed with police in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, as authorities began demolishing part of the historic Shahi Masjid on Monday.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed two petitions, confirming the municipal corporation’s legally approved road-widening plan tied to the 2028 Simhastha pilgrimage.
Ujjain Municipal Corporation plans to widen a 730-metre road to 15 metres, affecting 272 structures.
Around 2,000 police officers were deployed and tear-gas fired at the crowd.

Left

Disproportionate Muslim Impact

Police and Muslim residents clashed in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday as demolition of part of the historic Shahi Masjid began.
The road-widening project threatens 272 structures, including several religious sites, prompting concerns about a disproportionate impact on the Muslim community.
Police deployed multiple companies and fired tear-gas shells at the crowd near the mosque.
The state allocated about INR9.8 crore to widen a 900-metre road segment affecting 272 structures.

Blindspot

The Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed two petitions and upheld the municipal corporation’s road-widening plan for the 2028 Simhastha pilgrimage, which will affect 272 structures including the Shahi Masjid.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Center-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

On 6 December 1992 the VHP-led mob, backed by the BJP, razed the 16th-century Babri Masjid, sparking riots that killed more than 2,000 people across India. The episode cemented a legal and communal precedent for heritage disputes. Today, the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s approval of a road-widening project threatening Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid revives those tensions, prompting fresh clashes between police and Muslim residents.

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Court Backs Road Expansion

Protesters clashed with police in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, as authorities began demolishing part of the historic Shahi Masjid on Monday.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed two petitions, confirming the municipal corporation’s legally approved road-widening plan tied to the 2028 Simhastha pilgrimage.
Ujjain Municipal Corporation plans to widen a 730-metre road to 15 metres, affecting 272 structures.
Around 2,000 police officers were deployed and tear-gas fired at the crowd.

1 / 4