Ujjain Masjid Clash: A crowd mobilised and clashed with police in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, after AI-generated videos falsely depicted the total demolition of the Shahi Masjid, officials said on Monday. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. The unrest followed the partial removal of the historic mosque to accommodate a road-widening project ahead of the 2028 Simhastha.
People were misguided by the videos
According to the police officials, some youths associated with the Shahi Masjid were misguided after seeing fabricated videos on social media. The AI-generated videos allegedly showed the demolition of the entire mosque, Ujjain SP Pradeep Sharma said. The cop explained that the social media content angered the people, and a crowd mobilised around the religious site, The Indian Express reported.
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The police official then explained that local authorities decided to remove a portion of the mosque following a road-widening project. The demolition was carried out by members of the community itself after negotiations were reached.
8 FIRs, 5 Influences
Following the clash, police registered eight FIRs against 20 people across three police stations, with five content creators among those named. They have been accused of allegedly circulating AI-generated videos and other provocative posts on social media.
Cops are now probing the origin and circulation of the alleged misinformation. Social media accounts that first posted the material and people who shared the content are also being investigated. The police investigation has so far led to 15 arrests, while more than 100 Instagram accounts have been reported. An FIR has also been registered following a complaint by Ujjain City Qazi Khalil Qureshi Rehman, The Indian Express reported.
What’s The Row
The dispute erupted after a portion of the Shahi Masjid that lies along a road proposed for widening as part of preparations for the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh Mela.
On September 9,MP High Court had cleared the way for the partial removal. On Monday, the Indore bench was informed that the Muslim side had reached an agreement with the Ujjain Municipal Corporation, following which two related writ appeals were disposed of.
The court also directed that assurances given by the Ujjain Municipal Corporation, along with its interim notice concerning the mosque, would remain binding on the civic body.
Work To Continue On Tuesday
The mosque committee stated the removal process will continue from Tuesday morning and will continue for seven to eight days. Members of the Muslim community were seen removing the affected structures on Monday after the situation eased.
Police claimed the situation in Ujjain remained peaceful, with flag marches being conducted across the city and surveillance stepped up to prevent the spread of rumours and provocative content.