Ujjain, Sept. 11 -- The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday, September 9, dismissed two writ petitions against the Ujjain Municipal Corporation's (UMC) notice to demolish a portion of the Shahi Masjid for road widening ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh, a Hindu pilgrimage.

A single-judge bench led by Justice Sandeep N. Bhatt ruled that the Corporation's proposed civic actions fell under the applicable statutory provisions and were carried out only after allowing the mosque management to be heard.

'Petitioners not cooperating with the demolition'

The court said the action did not violate Articles 14 (equality before the law), 25 (freedom of conscience and freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion), 26 (freedom to manage rel...