MP High Court allows demolition of part of century-old mosque for Kumbh Mela road widening

Indore: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has upheld the Ujjain Municipal Corporation’s decision to demolish part of the historic Shahi Mosque, which is more than a century old, for road widening ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela scheduled for 2028.

The Indore Bench dismissed two petitions filed by mosque committees challenging the corporation’s eviction notice. The order was passed by a single bench headed by Justice Sandeep N. Bhatt.

The court said ensuring adequate transportation and security for the millions of pilgrims expected to attend the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh Mela was an essential matter of public interest.

Parts of 10 temples and a mosque had already been removed along the same route. As similar action had been taken against around 80 structures across the city, the court said the corporation could not be accused of acting discriminatorily or violating Articles 14, 25 and 26 of the Constitution.

The road widening is being carried out under the Ujjain Development Plan 2035. The court noted that the corporation had taken its decision after issuing notices and giving the affected parties an opportunity to raise objections.

The mosque committees, including the Shahi Masjid Waqf Panchayat Mochiyan, had approached the High Court challenging the demolition. The petitioners argued that the Shahi Mosque was a heritage place of worship dating back more than a century. They said removing part of the prayer hall, or Jamaat Khana, a 120-foot-high minaret and Mazhar Chowk Shahi to construct a 15-metre-wide road would interfere with their right to religious freedom.

The committees also said records from the Scindia rule and a government gazette published in 1985 established the mosque’s protected status and boundaries. They claimed that land had also been surrendered in 1975 to facilitate traffic movement.

The petitioners proposed that the road be constructed through nearby vacant land or a park instead of demolishing part of the mosque. The court, however, rejected the alternative proposal.

The municipal corporation told the court that less than 10% of the mosque would be removed and that compensation would be provided in the form of floor area ratio or transferable development rights (TDR). Following the court’s order, heavy police security has been deployed in Ujjain to maintain law and order.