A minaret of the Shahi Masjid in Ujjain collapsed during demolition work on Thursday due to a broken strap on a crane. The incident follows violent protests near the structure earlier this week, with the police deploying tear gas and arresting protesters.
On Thursday, a portion of the Shahi Masjid in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain was damaged when the municipal corporation was demolishing a minaret for a road-widening project. The minaret, which is traditionally used to give the daily call to prayer, fell on the dome and first floor of the mosque. According to Khaleeq ur Rahman, a Muslim religious leader in Ujjain, the minarets collapse occurred after a strap on a crane being used to remove it broke. This incident follows violent protests near the structure on Monday, with the police firing tear gas at Muslim residents protesting against the notice to demolish portions of the mosque. The demonstrators threw stones at police personnel during the clashes. Khaleeq ur Rahman also pointed out that members of the Muslim community were demolishing portions of the mosque themselves after Monday’s violence. An unidentified member of the Shahi Masjid committee questioned why the administration had shown urgency in demolishing the minaret when ‘our people were removing’ it. The Ujjain administration described the damage to the mosque as accidental, attributing it to faulty machinery. After the incident, movement around the site was restricted and the area was barricaded, with photography and videography prohibited within a 500-metre radius while the work continued. As of Wednesday, police had filed eight first information reports about the violence on Monday against 35 persons, 20 of whom had been arrested.
Source:
Scroll.in
