- Humayun Kabir lays foundation for Babri-model mosque in Murshidabad under heavy security
- Event held on Babri demolition anniversary; Kabir claims attendance of four lakh people
- BJP, Congress and TMC trade charges of polarisation and provocation
- Parallel Ram temple foundation ceremony held by BJP leader nearby
GG News Bureau
Kolkata, 7th Dec: Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a mosque modelled on Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid at Rejinagar in Murshidabad, setting off a fresh political confrontation in an already volatile West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The ceremony, deliberately scheduled for December 6—the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition—was held under unprecedented security cover, with state police, RAF and central forces cordoning off large parts of Rejinagar and neighbouring Beldanga.
Speaking from a massive stage positioned nearly a kilometre from the proposed mosque site, Kabir inaugurated the event by cutting a ceremonial ribbon alongside clerics, as chants of “Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar” echoed across a crowd he claimed numbered four lakh. Supporters carrying symbolic bricks filled the grounds. “There is nothing unconstitutional about this. Building a place of worship is a constitutional right. Babri Masjid will be built,” he declared, framing the project as a response to the demolition that took place 33 years ago.
Calling the initiative an “emotional balm”, Kabir said a “deep wound” was inflicted on Muslims in 1992 and that he had received threats after announcing the new mosque. “There are 40 crore Muslims in this country and four crore in this state. Can we not build one mosque here?” he asked. Clerics from Saudi Arabia shared the dais, adding a strong transnational religious dimension to the event, as Quranic verses played on loudspeakers.
Just a few kilometres away, the BJP held a parallel religious programme. Party leader Sakharav Sarkar laid the foundation stone for a Ram temple in Manindra Nagar, accusing the ruling TMC of being complicit in Kabir’s mosque project. “This Babri mosque is not just Humayun Kabir’s project. The state administration and the TMC are involved,” he alleged.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issued a message on X asserting that Bengal would not bow before divisive politics. “The soil of Bengal is the soil of unity of Rabindranath, Nazrul, Ramakrishna and Vivekananda… Faith is personal, but festivals belong to all,” she wrote, vowing to continue fighting communal forces.
The foundation event triggered a swift political backlash. BJP leader Amit Malviya alleged that Kabir’s supporters were carrying bricks to construct what he described as a Babri Masjid, claiming the suspended MLA enjoyed police protection. “This is not a religious effort but a political one. It poses a serious threat to West Bengal’s stability,” he warned, accusing Mamata Banerjee of steering the state towards turmoil.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, speaking during a ‘Shourya Yatra’ in north Kolkata marking the Babri demolition anniversary, said that “the seed of Mughal-Pathan politics had been sown in Murshidabad today.” Naming the mosque after Babur, he argued, was “an insult” and “playing with fire.”
The political confrontation was not limited to the two main rivals. Senior TMC leaders distanced themselves from Kabir, accusing him of acting as an “agent of the BJP” to stoke unrest. “The people of Murshidabad are peace-loving and do not support his provocations,” a party leader said.
The Congress also condemned both the TMC and BJP for exploiting communal sensitivities in a district historically prone to tension. Hundreds of Congress workers marched in a ‘Sadbhawna Rally’ in Kolkata, moving from a mosque to a temple and urging citizens to reject a return to the post-Babri atmosphere of fear and division. “Temples and mosques will not give people jobs or food. Politics of division must stop,” state Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar said.
Kabir’s political trajectory added another layer to the unfolding drama. Once a Congress leader, then a TMC MLA, later briefly associated with the BJP before rejoining the TMC, he has long been seen as a volatile figure. His suspension followed repeated disputes with the party’s leadership, and on Saturday he hinted at launching his own party later this month.
On the ground, the massive gathering strained local infrastructure. National Highway 12 witnessed severe congestion as thousands walked long distances—some up to 8 km through fields—to reach the venue. While no major incident was reported, authorities maintained heightened surveillance across communally sensitive pockets of Murshidabad, deploying QRT teams throughout the day.
The event also coincided with preparations for a massive religious mobilisation in Kolkata, where organisers expect nearly five lakh people to participate in a collective Bhagavad Gita chanting session at the Brigade Parade Grounds on Sunday, with senior BJP leaders and yoga guru Baba Ramdev likely to attend.
