By Anand Mohan J
Tension escalated outside Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid on Monday morning as residents opposing the removal of a portion of the mosque for road widening clashed with police and allegedly pelted stones at security personnel, prompting the police to fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
The confrontation came as the Ujjain Municipal Corporation began the process of removing the portion of the mosque that falls within the proposed alignment of the road being widened ahead of Simhastha 2028.
A large crowd gathered at the site as the action began, with police and protesters coming face-to-face amid the continuing opposition to the demolition.
Police had made extensive security arrangements around the mosque following the overnight standoff, when hundreds of residents and members of the Muslim community had gathered at the site to prevent the proposed removal.
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