Police in Ujjain said AI‑generated videos of the Shahi Mosque demolition circulated on social media on Monday, sparking a clash with law‑enforcement.
The mosque committee had agreed to remove a 3‑metre segment of the eastern wall to accommodate a road‑widening project, a decision announced in a meeting with municipal officials overnight. But the removal was misrepresented as a full demolition in the viral footage.
A message from Instagram user Imran Khan urged people to gather at Chhatri Chowk on September 27, while a video posted by Arif Pathan called for a midnight assembly near the mosque. The posts, shared by several accounts, drew parallels to the Babri mosque incident.
Police responded with lathi charges and tear gas shells to disperse a crowd that had gathered on Sunday night and again after the early‑morning agreement. The officers claimed that stone‑throwing and vandalism forced the use of force.
An FIR was lodged under sections 196(1), 299, 353(2) and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code for the circulation of misleading content. The complaint names the social‑media accounts linked to the posts, and police are investigating the identity of the posters.
District Collector Roshan Kumar Singh said that calm has returned to the Shahi Mosque site, and that the removal work will resume with heightened security. He added that those who tried to incite unrest will face strict action. The next day, security personnel will monitor the area as the road‑widening project enters the next phase.