MP BJP govt announces Rs 5 lakh for victims of Bhojshala protest

Bhopal: The Chief Minister of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, on Monday announced ₹5 lakh compensation each for the families of three men killed during the violent 2003 Bhojshala protests in Dhar district, while also unveiling major cultural and infrastructure projects linked to the controversial Bhojshala site, according to a The Hindu report.

The announcement came during Yadav’s visit to the Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula mosque complex, where he performed worship days after the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the disputed structure was a temple dedicated to goddess Saraswati and an ancient Sanskrit learning centre.

The High Court verdict rejected the Muslim community’s long-standing claim that the complex functioned as a 14th-century mosque, handing a major victory to Hindu organisations that had led decades of mobilisation around the site. Yadav described the judgment as the outcome of a 750-year-long struggle and claimed Dhar was entering a historic new phase after the ruling.

The three deceased men — Van Singh Araadi, Lakshman Singh and Anwar Singh — died during clashes with security personnel in February 2003 after Hindu organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, launched protests demanding unrestricted access to Bhojshala. The groups argued that the structure had originally been built as a temple by 11th-century Parmar ruler King Bhoja and later declared the dead protesters martyrs of the movement.

Yadav also announced plans to establish a “Maa Saraswati Lok” corridor and a Raja Bhoj Research Institute, saying the site would emerge as a major tourism and literary centre. Alongside the Bhojshala-related announcements, he laid the foundation stone for development projects worth more than ₹88,000 crore across Dhar district.