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With Basant Panchami falling on 23 January, a Friday, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that Hindus can worship from sunrise to sunset, with a gap between 1 pm to 3 pm allowing Muslims to offer namaz, at the disputed 11th century Bhojshala-Kamaal Maula Mosque structure situated in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
The District Administration and police are on a high alert given the sensitivity of the situation. The police have taken control of the Dhar city, deploying nearly 8,000 personnel from the police, CRPF, and Rapid Action Force throughout the district.
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CCTV surveillance, foot and vehicle patrols are being carried out throughout the city, and social media posts are being closely monitored.
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Over the past few days, politics heated up in the state with religious sentiments being expressed from both Hindus and Muslims regarding offering of prayers on Basant Panchami coinciding with a Friday.
The centre of the dispute was the stand of representatives of the Hindu side, who had demanded that Muslims should not be allowed to offer Friday prayers in the Kamaal Maula Mosque on Basant Panchami this year. Instead, only Hindus should be allowed to carry out religious festivities and prayers throughout the day at the Bhojshala.
The structure, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected 11th -century monument, is considered by Hindus a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), while the Muslim community regards it as the Kamaal Maula mosque.
As per an order of the ASI dated 7 April 2003, Hindus have been given the right to worship every Tuesday at what they claim to be Bhojshala, while the Muslim community can offer prayers on Fridays at what they claim to be the Kamaal Maula Mosque, both names given to the same structure, which has led to a years-long dispute.
Meanwhile, Indore Rural Range IG Anurag, who arrived in Dhar to inspect the Bhojshala complex and audit the security arrangements, said that the 8,000 police personnel are being deployed in phases. Drone cameras are being used to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, Ashok Jain, patron of the Bhoj Utsav Committee, said that the Akhand Puja will take place on Basant Panchami, with 30,000 to 50,000 devotees expected to participate.
However, Zulfikar Pathan, head of the Kamaal Maula Mosque Intezamia Committee, stated that they had requested the authorities to allow Friday prayers without any hindrance on January 23, 2026, in compliance with the ASI’s April 7, 2003 order.
The situation had tensed up further, as saffron flags and Akhand Puja billboards have been put up across the city.
Now, the apex court ruling has provided separate timings for members of both religions to offer prayers the same day at the site.
Congress Rajya Sabha Member and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh had also given his opinion on the situation. “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 wrote on social media yesterday.
“I would like to inform the administration and the government that the ASI (Archeological Survey of India) 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 added.
He said in this situation, it is the responsibility of the government and administration to fully comply with the order issued by the ASI and to take strict action against those spreading communal frenzy and rumours, while making every effort to spread the message of peace in Dhar. “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.
Singh’s social media post, nonetheless, had invited strong reaction from the ruling saffron party.
Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Ajay Singh Yadav told reporters, “The Bhojshala controversy had surfaced when Digvijaya Singh was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.”
He alleged that Singh has always stood against Sanatan Dharma for the sake of appeasement politics, which is why he is making such statements. “Singh must understand that the sentiments of Sanatani people are attached to Bhojshala”, he added.
“The birth anniversary of Mother Goddess is celebrated only once a year. Namaz is offered every day, and it can be offered elsewhere one day”, Yadav argued.
“Singh is provoking people, playing politics, and trying to gain political advantage”, the BJP leader alleged.
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