Unidentified persons try to keep idol at disputed Bhojshala in MP; cops deployed at monument

Unidentified persons allegedly tried to keep an idol in the Bhojshala historical building, a disputed 11th century structure, in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, police said on Sunday. Following the incident on Saturday night, police security was deployed around the premises, they said.

Both Hindus and Muslims lay claim on the Bhojshala, which derived its name from king Bhoja and is an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monument.

Additional Superintendent of Police Indrajeet Singh Bakarwal told reporters that some anti-social elements on Saturday night allegedly tried to keep an idol in the Bhojshala by cutting the fenced wire of the monument.

The police later came to know about the incident, he said.

Further legal steps were being taken after seeking a report from the ASI and the examination of CCTV footage, he said. Police force was deployed outside the monument, he added.

Hindus consider Bhojshala as the temple of Goddess Waghdevi (Saraswati), while Muslims treat it as Kamal Moula mosque. On several occasions in the past, tension prevailed in Dhar city over the historical building whenever the Basant Panchmi festival fell on a Friday.

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