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Dhar: The first Friday after the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared the Bhojshala complex a temple, witnessed heavy police presence, with Dhar Superintendent of Police Sachin Sharma, warning against any attempts to violate the rule of law.

A video of the SP from Thursday, May 21, was widely shared on social media. “I have come to explain this to them for one last time,” SP Sharma said. “Till now it was their time. Now they will follow the law.”

“Anyone who has the courage or believes they can challenge the law should try tomorrow (Friday). We are fully prepared, and strict action will be taken against them,” Sharma said in the video.

He cautioned the locals against spreading misinformation or false claims on social media about the court order and said, “Kanoon ka palan hoga, veedhi ka shasan hoga (The law will be upheld, the rule of law will prevail).”

Sharma ended the address with the “Bharat mata ki jai,” which was loudly echoed by the other police officers.

Hyderabad MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the SP’s remarks, asking for the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police’s intervention.

“Sir DGP if the video is genuine, the way SP/officer is speaking shows his mindset, that he doesn’t believe in Rule of Law,” Owaisi said.

“I condemn it, he should openly join BJP by discarding the Uniform,” he added.

Hindu devotees perform maha aarti, Muslims offer namaz at home

Hundreds of Hindu devotees gathered at the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar for a “maha aarti,” while members of the Muslim community offered namaz at their homes wearing black bands in protest.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 15 ruled that the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex was a temple dedicated to Goddess Vagdevi and quashed an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order that had allowed Muslims to offer namaz at the site on Fridays.

Before the verdict, Hindus were allowed to worship at the medieval monument only on Tuesdays, while Muslims had been offering Friday prayers there for years. Both communities claim rights over the site.

This Friday marked the first Jumma or the day of special congregational prayers after the court verdict and Hindu groups described the event as the first large-scale Friday worship at the site in more than two decades.

The sanctum area and parts of the complex were decorated with rangoli and flowers as devotees queued up for darshan and prayers.

Meanwhile, members of the Muslim community offered Friday namaz in the courtyards of their homes and private premises wearing black bands as a mark of protest after the court setback in the Bhojshala case.

SP Sharma said the high court directions were implemented “in letter and spirit” and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the district.