Allegations of a “dummy namaz” have triggered a fresh controversy at the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, even as the administration described the day as a rare moment of peaceful prayers by both Hindu and Muslim communities.The dispute centres on whether Muslims were actually allowed to offer Friday prayers inside the disputed complex or whether the exercise was staged to show compliance with the Supreme Court’s order.
The issue came to light after Imran Khan, a resident of Gulmohar Colony in Dhar, released a video claiming that the district administration organised a “dummy namaz” while keeping local Muslims away from the site. He alleged that officials took him and others under police security on Thursday night, promising entry into the ASI-protected complex for namaz between 1 pm and 3 pm on Friday.
“We were kept under watch, but when the prayer time was about to end, we were told to go back home. Now the administration is saying namaz happened inside, but that was not us,” Khan claimed.
The district administration has rejected these allegations. Officials said Muslims offered prayers peacefully inside the complex, strictly following the Supreme Court order issued on January 22, which allowed Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset and Muslim namaz at a designated, separate spot between 1 pm and 3 pm.
Residents of Gulmohar Colony, however, alleged that they were detained at the Kamal Maula Mosque for nearly 16 hours and were not allowed to enter the complex. They claimed that a video showing a few people offering prayers in a rear portion of the mosque was later used to project compliance with the court order.Adding to the confusion, another video circulated on social media showing some people entering the mosque area wearing yellow volunteer jackets, raising questions about whether those seen offering prayers were local residents or volunteers brought in for the occasion.
A senior police officer posted in Dhar said that 15 to 17 Muslim men were escorted in a protected anti-riot vehicle and allowed to offer namaz without interruption at the designated spot. “They were allowed to pray exclusively between 1 pm and 3 pm, as per the Supreme Court’s directions,” the officer said.
Dhar Collector Priyank Mishra declined to comment on the allegations. “I do not want to respond to 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 line with the court order,” he said.
In Bhopal, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav praised the district administration, saying Dhar had shown that prayers by both communities could take place peacefully if court directions were followed properly.
The day passed without violence despite Basant Panchami coinciding with Friday prayers, a combination that had led to clashes in Dhar in 2013 and 2016. Thousands of Hindu devotees offered uninterrupted prayers at the site, which Hindus believe is the 11th-century Bhojshala temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, while Muslims maintain it is the Kamal Maula Mosque.
While Hindu group leaders thanked the government for allowing Akhand Basant Panchami prayers after a decade, the conflicting claims over Friday namaz have left unanswered questions. Though calm prevailed on the ground, the controversy has ensured that the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula dispute remains sensitive even after the prayers ended.
