In Madhya Pradesh's Bhojshala, A 'Dummy Namaz' Claim Amid Peaceful Prayers

Allegations of a "dummy namaz" have cast a fresh shadow over what the administration is calling a rare and hard-won moment of communal calm in Dhar. Serious and conflicting claims over whether Friday prayers by Muslims were genuinely conducted inside the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex or merely staged.

The controversy erupted after Imran Khan, a resident of Gulmohar Colony in Dhar, released a video alleging that the district administration orchestrated a "dummy namaz" to show compliance with the Supreme Court order, while local Muslims were allegedly kept away.

Khan claimed that on Thursday night, officials escorted him and other Muslim residents under police security, promising secure entry into the ASI-protected complex for Friday namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm. "We were kept under watch, but when the prayer window was about to close, we were told to return home. The administration is now saying namaz happened inside that was not us," he alleged.

However, two sharply conflicting claims have now emerged.

Read: Hindus Perform Puja, Muslims Offer Namaz In Madhya Pradesh's Bhojshala

The district administration maintains that Muslim individuals offered namaz peacefully at the Bhojshala complex, strictly in line with the January 22 Supreme Court order, which allowed Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset and Muslim namaz at a separate, exclusive spot between 1 pm and 3 pm.

On the other hand, residents of Gulmohar Colony alleged that Deputy Collector Roshni Patidar and DSP Anand Tiwari detained them and their companions at the Kamal Maula Mosque for nearly 16 hours, but did not allow them to enter the disputed complex to offer prayers. According to them, a video was later made showing a few individuals offering prayers in a rear portion of the mosque, which they claim was used to project compliance.

Adding another layer to the controversy, a separate video surfaced on social media showing some people entering the Kamal Maula Mosque, apparently preparing to offer prayers. Notably, the worshippers seen in the video were wearing yellow volunteer jackets, raising further questions about whether they were local residents or volunteers brought in for the occasion.
All this unfolded as the rare coincidence of Basant Panchami falling on a Friday passed off without violence in Dhar, a town that has witnessed clashes during similar overlaps in 2013 and 2016.

Under unprecedented security arrangements, thousands of Hindu devotees marched in large processions and offered uninterrupted prayers from sunrise to sunset at the disputed complex, which Hindus claim is the 11th-century Bhojshala temple and Sanskrit university dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati), built by Paramara ruler Raja Bhoja. Muslims, meanwhile, maintain it is the Kamal Maula Mosque.

Read: Supreme Court Allows Hindu, Muslim Friday Prayers At Madhya Pradesh's Bhojshala

A senior state police officer camping in Dhar said that 15-17 Muslim men were escorted in a protected anti-riot vehicle and allowed to offer namaz exclusively and uninterruptedly at the designated spot between 1 pm and 3 pm.

When asked about the allegations raised by Imran Khan and Gulmohar Colony residents, Dhar Collector Priyank Mishra declined to engage with what he termed "allegations".

"I do not want to comment on such claims. With the consent of the community, 15-17 Muslim men offered symbolic namaz at the exclusive location inside the complex between 1 pm and 3 pm, in compliance with the Supreme Court's order," Mishra said.

In Bhopal, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav praised the administration, saying Dhar had demonstrated that simultaneous prayers by both communities were possible when court directives were followed meticulously.

While veteran Hindu outfit leaders Gopal Sharma and Ashok Jain thanked the government for ensuring akhand Basant Panchami prayers after a decade, the competing narratives over Friday namaz have ensured that the calm remains fragile.
The day ended without violence but with videos, allegations, and unanswered questions that may yet keep the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula dispute simmering long after the prayers have ended.