According to Indian media reports, a portion of the mosque falls within the area affected by a road-widening plan being carried out as part of preparations for the Singhstha 2028 religious gathering.
Local authorities have said the road expansion is necessary to improve traffic flow and public movement because millions of pilgrims are expected to visit the city during the major religious event.
Mosque administrators and local Muslim residents have opposed the proposed action and said they would continue their peaceful protest to protect the historic place of worship.
Additional police and Rapid Action Force personnel have reportedly been deployed around the mosque, with security tightened in the area. Local reports also said a large number of people were present inside the mosque.
According to Imam Muhammad Ibrahim, the mosque was built in 1390 and is approximately 636 years old. He expressed concern that even minor alterations to the structure could affect the stability of the historic building.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court had rejected petitions seeking protection of the mosque. The legal dispute concerned the removal of a portion of the mosque falling within the proposed road expansion area, rather than demolition of the entire mosque.
Court proceedings reportedly noted that the road would be widened to 15 metres, affecting approximately 39.33 square metres of the mosque. The court also considered administrative arguments regarding traffic management and public safety during Singhstha 2028.
Protesters are demanding that the historic mosque be excluded from the road-widening project. Road expansion and reconstruction work in Ujjain is being carried out as part of preparations for the large religious gathering expected to bring significant numbers of pilgrims to the city.