AI videos of mosque being razed mobilised crowd, led to Ujjain clashes: Cops

AI-generated videos falsely showing the demolition of the Shahi Masjid in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain fuelled rumours and helped mobilise a crowd that later clashed with police, officials said on Monday night.The development came a day after clashes broke out in Ujjain when a crowd protesting the proposed removal of a portion of the mosque hurled stones at security personnel. Police used tear gas and mild force to disperse the crowd. Security personnel keep a vigil following stone-pelting incidents during protests against the proposed removal of a portion of the 'Shahi Masjid' for road widening, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (PTI Photo) The videos have now become a key focus of the police investigation. Eight FIRs have been registered against 20 people across three police stations, with five content creators among those named. They have been accused of circulating AI-generated videos and other provocative posts on social media.According to The Indian Express report, police said some of the videos falsely depicted the entire mosque being demolished, while the actual dispute concerns only a portion of the structure that falls within the alignment of a road being widened ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh. Ujjain SP Pradeep Sharma said the circulation of such posts contributed to the gathering of a large crowd outside the mosque.“CCTV cameras have been installed and drone cameras are also monitoring the area. Through these cameras, those involved in the stone-pelting are being identified, and legal action will be taken,” SP Sharma said. Fifteen people have been detained so far, while some others have been arrested, officials said. Police are also monitoring social media accounts and investigating the source and circulation of the videos.The confrontation came after thousands of people gathered around the Shahi Masjid on Sunday night amid preparations to remove the portion of the mosque that falls within the proposed road-widening alignment.Police had deployed around 2,500 personnel, including local forces and Rapid Action Force units, in the area. Security personnel keep vigil following stone-pelting incidents during protests against the proposed removal of a portion of the 'Shahi Masjid' for road widening, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (PTI Photo) The administration and Ujjain Shahar Qazi Khalil-ur-Rehman appealed to people to ignore rumours and avoid gathering at the site unnecessarily. The Qazi said the mosque issue had been resolved through mutual consent on Sunday night."I appeal to everyone not to pay attention to any kind of rumour or come to the spot unnecessarily because of these rumours," he said.WHAT'S BEHIND SHAHI MASJID DISPUTE IN UJJAIN?The road from Kanthal crossing to Gopal Mandir is being widened to 15 metres to facilitate the movement of pilgrims during the 2028 Simhastha.The wider project is expected to affect 272 structures, including religious sites, with the state government sanctioning around Rs 9.8 crore for the work.Ujjain Collector Roshan Singh said the road-widening work was being undertaken as part of preparations for the Simhastha and that members of different communities were voluntarily removing structures that obstructed the project."The good thing is that people belonging to all religious communities are voluntarily contributing to the event. They are voluntarily removing any obstructions to their homes and religious places," he said.A member of the mosque-linked Numainda Committee, Fahim Sikandar, said the Muslim community was cooperating with the road-widening project and had agreed to remove the affected portion of the mosque.Sikandar said the community had initially begun removing the structure itself as machines had not been brought in by the administration. He also said discussions were still underway over the exact extent of the portion to be removed, with figures ranging from three to eight feet being discussed.According to the lawyer representing one of the Muslim parties, the administration had initially sought removal of around 9.5 feet, while an agreement was reached for removal of around three feet. Workers demolish a portion of the 'Shahi Masjid' for road widening, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (PTI Photo) Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday disposed of two appeals concerning the proposed removal after the Muslim side informed the court that a settlement had been reached with the Ujjain Municipal Corporation.The court said the civic body’s assurances and interim notice would be binding on the corporation.The partial removal had already been cleared by the High Court on September 9, when petitions challenging the proposed removal of the portion falling within the road alignment were dismissed.REMOVAL TO CONTINUE ON TUESDAYThe mosque committee has said the removal process will continue from Tuesday morning and could take seven to eight days. Members of the Muslim community were seen removing the affected structures on Monday after the situation eased.Police said 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.- Ends