The Supreme Court has allowed Hindu prayers from sunrise to sunset on Basant Panchami on Friday at the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, while permitting Muslims to offer namaz from 1 pm to 3 pm on the day.

Given the sensitivity of the situation, nearly 8,000 police personnel, including those from the Central Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force, have been deployed throughout Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Thursday.

CCTV surveillance, foot and vehicle patrols, and social media activity are being closely tracked across the city, a police official said.

Saffron flags and 'Akhand Puja' billboards have been put up in the city ahead of the Basant Panchami.

Drone cameras are being used to maintain law and order, an official said.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi made an appeal to both sides to observe mutual respect and cooperate with the state and district administration for maintenance of law and order.

It directed the district administration to make law and order arrangements at the site for offering of prayers.

The top court on Thursday also directed that a list of persons from the Muslim community coming for namaz be given to the district administration.

Hindu and Muslim groups have sought nod for religious activities at the Bhojshala complex on January 23, a Friday when Saraswati Puja will also be celebrated on the occasion of Basant Panchami.

The Bhoj Utsav Committee of the Hindus has requested permission to perform puja all day on January 23, while the Muslim community has submitted a memorandum requesting permission for Friday prayers at Kamal Moula mosque that day between 1 pm and 3 pm.

Ashok Jain, patron of the Bhoj Utsav Committee, said the 'Akhand Puja' (continuous prayers) will be held at the Bhojshala on Basant Panchami, with 30,000 to 50,000 devotees expected to participate.

On the other side, Zulfikar Pathan, head of the Kamal Moula Namaz Intezamia Committee, stated that in accordance with the ASI's order of April 7, 2003, they have requested that Friday prayers be held without any hindrance.

Congress veteran and former MP chief minister Digvijaya Singh has appealed to Hindus and Muslims to maintain communal harmony.

"I would like to inform the administration and the government that the ASI has already clarified in its orders issued in 2003, 2013, and 2016 that whenever the festival of Basant Panchami and Friday prayers coincide, the Basant Panchami puja will be performed from sunrise to 1 pm and then from 3:30 pm to sunset, leaving the time between 1 pm and 3 pm for Friday prayers," Digvijaya Singh stated.

In this situation, it is the responsibility of the government and administration to fully comply with the ASI order and take strict action against those spreading "communal frenzy" and rumours, while making every effort to spread the message of peace in Dhar, the Rajya Sabha member said.

"I appeal to all Hindu and Muslim brothers to maintain communal harmony. Our state is a symbol of peace and it is the moral responsibility of the government and administration to establish this peace legally," he added.

Reacting to the Congress leader's post, MP BJP spokesperson Ajay Singh Yadav told reporters on Wednesday that the Bhojshala controversy surfaced when Digvijaya Singh was the state's chief minister.

The Congress leader has always taken steps against Sanatan Dharma for the sake of appeasement politics, which is why he is making such statements, he claimed.

He must understand that the sentiments of the Sanatani people are attached to Bhojshala, the BJP leader said.

Hindus consider Bhojshala, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected 11th-century monument, to be a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim community calls it Kamal Maula mosque.

Under an arrangement made by the ASI on April 7, 2003, Hindus perform puja on the Bhojshala premises on Tuesdays and Muslims offer 'namaz' in the complex on Fridays.