It is alleged that the idol of Saraswati was taken by Britishers to London where it is kept in a Museum. On Basant Panchami day, people offer puja to Saraswati. This year Basant Panchami and Friday are falling on the same day -that is February 12. Hardliner Hindus say that they should the allowed to perform Saraswati puja whole day and Muslims should be prevented from entering Bhojshala.

Meanwhile All India Muslim Personal Law Board has claimed that the Madhya Pradesh government was under pressure to fix the Basant Panchami puja time for Hindus on February 12, a Friday when Muslims offer prayer at the disputed Kamal Moula Mosque in Dhar.It said that the festival should be observed on February 13 instead of February 12.

The government of India's restricted holiday list shows February 12 as Basant Panchami when Hindus are allowed to pray at the Masjid Kamal Moula (Bhojshala) complex from sunrise to sunset except for two hours allotted for Namaz.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Arif Masood said Basant Panchami had fallen on a Friday in 2013 and the high court had directed the state government to ensure peaceful prayers by both the communities. The timing of the puja was fixed from 7 AM to 12 noon and for namaz from 1 PM to 3 PM to be followed by puja again. But the state government and the Dhar district administration defied the court order, he said.

Though the puja was observed as per schedule, Muslims were denied entry to the complex during Namaz time. Some police personnel performed namaz in plain clothes to send out the impression that namaz was performed as per schedule, he said.

Masood demanded that the Friday prayer by Muslims at the shrine be videographed and adequate security be provided to them. He also demanded a ban on the organisations which have declared puja to be conducted on February 12.

This 11th century monument is the centre of conflict between hindus and muslims since ages. Hindus treat it as Bhojshala but Muslims consider it as Masjid Kamal Moula. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has allowed both the communities to offer prayers at the shrine, though on two different days round the year.

Home minister Babulal Gaur has said adequate police bandobast has been made to ensure that Friday Namaz and Basant Panchami pujas pass off peacefully at the disputed Bhojshala shrine on February 12.

In order to mount pressure on the government to allow them to offer Namaz despite being Basant Panchami, thousands of Muslims on February 5, (being Friday) exactly a week before Basant Panchami, offered namaz at Bhojshala-Kamal Maula’s mosque in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar town, leaving the local administration worried.

The turnout was much more than usual and came a day after Hindu organisations boycotted a sadbhavana rally organised by the administration protesting that the majority community was not named in the appeal for peace. The right-wing activists argued that the appeal mentioned the minority community and it reflected the biased approach of the administration and the state BJP government.

The administration has made elaborate arrangements at the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula’s mosque to avoid a repeat of 2006 and 2013, when Dharma Jagaran Manch and Bhoj Utsav Samiti members refused to vacate the premises by 12.30 pm, forcing the police to use force and to ensure a symbolic namaz.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) allows Hindus to pray from sunrise to 12.30 pm and then from 3.30 pm till sunset and Muslims from 1 pm to 3 pm on every Basant Panchami. But this year, Hindu organisations have rejected the arrangement, warning that there will be either puja or namaz at the shrine on February 12 and not both.

“We will pray outside the shrine if we don’t get a commitment from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by February 11 that namaz will not be offered the whole day (on February 12),’’ DJM convener Gopal Sharma told media.

On the huge turnout for Friday prayers, Sharma said the turnout included Muslims from neighbouring towns and villages. “They have asked their women to go elsewhere on that day (Basant Panchami). You know what’s coming,’’ he claimed.

Among those who offered prayers on Friday was Shahar Kazi Sadiq Waqar, who was missing ever since he was booked for sedition. Hindu organisations widely circulated his photograph, stating that it was “a slap on the administration’s face”. But a senior police officer said Kazi can’t be arrested till the outcome of the probe was known.

Hindu organisations which have taken hard stand are affiliated to the RSS and the BJP, which is also an affiliate of the RSS, is in power. Despite this the state administration is not able to control mischievous elements. Because of it is suspected that they enjoy behind the scene backing of the ruling party.

Besides Bhojshala another controversy which is affecting the state relates to the inclusion of Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur in the list of 20 smart cities of the country. People of Bhopal, cutting across political differences are opposing the present smart city plan.

All the opposition parties' employees traders and other social and cultural organisation are calling it 'Vinash plan' (Destruction) rather than a development plan. According to the approved list, an area known as 'Shivaji Nagar' and 'Tulsi Nagar' have been included in the Bhopal smart city plan. These areas are inhabited by government officers and employees. They live in the houses provided by government.

In order to develop this area as smart city, more than 2700 houses will be demolished. This area is rich in greenery. There are several hundreds of trees, in the areas, which will be uprooted.

These areas are already the most developed areas of the city. There are several such areas in Bhopal whose residents do not get minimum civic amenities like drinking water, sewage line, even street lights. People have to spend hours for fetching water from the public hand pumps. (IPA Service)