Madhya Pradesh: Security tightened as Hindus gear up for Basant Panchami puja at disputed Bhojshala site

Dhar (MP): With Basant Panchami falling on Friday, security has been stepped up at the disputed 11th-century Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar as both Hindus and Muslims remain firm on exercising their religious rights at the site.

Given the sensitivity of the situation, nearly 8,000 police personnel, including those from the Central Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force, have been deployed throughout Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Thursday.

CCTV surveillance, foot and vehicle patrols, and social media activity are being closely tracked across the city, a police official said.

Saffron flags and 'Akhand Puja' billboards have been put up in the city ahead of the Basant Panchami.

The Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque is a medieval-era monument that Hindus claim is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while the Muslims say it is a centuries-old mosque.

As per an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order, Hindus have been given the right to worship at Bhojshala every Tuesday, while the Muslim community can offer prayers on Fridays.

The Bhoj Utsav Committee of the Hindus has requested permission to perform puja all day on January 23, while the Muslim community has submitted a memorandum requesting permission for Friday prayers at Kamal Moula mosque that day between 1 pm and 3 pm.

Ashok Jain, patron of the Bhoj Utsav Committee, said the 'Akhand Puja' (continuous prayers) will be held at the Bhojshala on Basant Panchami, with 30,000 to 50,000 devotees expected to participate.

On the other side, Zulfikar Pathan, head of the Kamal Moula Namaz Intezamia Committee, stated that in accordance with the ASI's order of April 7, 2003, they have requested that Friday prayers be held without any hindrance.

Indore Rural Range Inspector General of Police, Anurag, has inspected the Bhojshala complex and the security arrangements.

Nearly 8,000 police personnel have been deployed across the district, and the Bhojshala complex has been divided into five-six sectors, with deployments being conducted in a phased manner, he told reporters on Wednesday evening.

Drone cameras are being used to maintain law and order, an official said.

Congress veteran and former MP chief minister Digvijaya Singh has appealed to Hindus and Muslims to maintain communal harmony.

This year, the festival of Basant Panchami falls on a Friday. It has fallen on Friday before, and as per the central government's decision, the Dhar district administration made arrangements to celebrate it peacefully with both parties, he said in a social media post on Wednesday.

"I would like to inform the administration and the government that the ASI has already clarified in its orders issued in 2003, 2013, and 2016 that whenever the festival of Basant Panchami and Friday prayers coincide, the Basant Panchami puja will be performed from sunrise to 1 pm and then from 3:30 pm to sunset, leaving the time between 1 pm and 3 pm for Friday prayers," he stated.

In this situation, it is the responsibility of the government and administration to fully comply with the ASI order and take strict action against those spreading "communal frenzy" and rumours, while making every effort to spread the message of peace in Dhar, the Rajya Sabha member said.

"I appeal to all Hindu and Muslim brothers to maintain communal harmony. Our state is a symbol of peace and it is the moral responsibility of the government and administration to establish this peace legally," he added.

Reacting to the Congress leader's post, MP BJP spokesperson Ajay Singh Yadav told reporters on Wednesday that the Bhojshala controversy surfaced when Digvijaya Singh was the state's chief minister.

The Congress leader has always taken steps against Sanatan Dharma for the sake of appeasement politics, which is why he is making such statements, he claimed.

He must understand that the sentiments of the Sanatani people are attached to Bhojshala, the BJP leader said.

Once a year, the birth anniversary of Mother Goddess (Saraswati) is celebrated, so support her. Namaz is offered every day, and it can be offered elsewhere one day, he said.

Digvijaya Singh is provoking people, playing politics, and trying to gain a political advantage, Yadav alleged.

The administration has reviewed preparations to avoid any untoward incident at a site that has been at the centre of a dispute between Hindus and Muslims for decades.