Security has been tightened in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar town due to increased tension as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, among other Hindu organisations, continues to hold prayers outside Dhar's Bhojshala in the run-up to Basant Panchami.
Dhar is home to the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque, a shrine claimed by both Hindus and Muslims.
Prayers were conducted as a protest against the order allowing both Hindus and Muslims to offer prayers at the controversial shrine today.
Police and RAF personnel have converted Dhar into a fortress with security personnel from neighbouring districts also deployed in the city.
Tension has been building up in Dhar ahead of 'Basant Panchami' after right-wing leader Vijay Singh Rathore demanded that Hindus be allowed "dawn-to-dusk" access to perform puja at Bhojshala, despite the order issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) last month.
The order stated that on Basant Panchami, Hindus will perform puja at Bhojshala from sunrise to 12 noon and from 3.30 PM to sunset, while Muslims will offer namaz between 1 PM and 3 PM.
Hindus consider Bhojshala as the temple of Goddess Wagdevi (Saraswati), whereas Muslims treat it as Kamal Moula mosque.
However, Bhoj Utsav Samiti (BUS) is sticking to its demand that Hindus should be exclusively allowed to enter Bhojshala to offer prayers on their festival today.
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