‘This is a prestige fight’: Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir lays foundation stone for ‘Babri Masjid’ in Murshidabad

The foundation-laying ceremony was scheduled from 10 am, but crowds began gathering at NH 12 since early morning, causing the area to be partially blocked. Those who arrived at the proposed 25-acre site for the mosque carried the Indian national flag and many brought bricks to erect the masjid.

People carrying bricks for proposed Babri Masjid replica in Murshidabad during the foundation stone laying ceremony. (Express Photo)

‘Will crush arrogant Mamata’

Kabir said, “Whatever the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) does, that is right. Whatever the others say is wrong. Mamata Banerjee is so arrogant. What did the minorities get by making her the chief minister?”

“Minorities form 37 per cent of the population in Bengal. Mamata became the Chief Minister by getting most of their votes. She is very arrogant. I will crush her. I will make her the former (chief minister),” the MLA said, while alleging that the TMC has over the years seen a reduction in the number of minority MLAs. “In 2011, that number was 67. In 2016, it decreased to 57. In 2021, it has further decreased to 44 people.”

“I will announce my new party on December 22 and will put up candidates in 135 seats. The TMC will see what will happen then,” he said.

After the foundation-laying ceremony, Kabir stated that there will be no shortage of money for the mosque’s construction. A medical college and hospital will be built on its premises across 25 bighas, he said, adding that the main mosque will be built on three acres.

On Friday, the Calcutta High Court had declined to interfere in the proposed foundation-laying ceremony of the Babri Masjid replica at Beldanga. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Parthasarathi Sen said the court would not intervene at this stage.

Following this, the bench directed that Kabir may organise the programme in Beldanga but only while strictly maintaining law and order. It said the police must ensure that the event does not trigger any disturbance.

The police informed the court that they would take all necessary measures to maintain security. Over 3,000 police personnel were deployed along the premises of the proposed mosque on Saturday. A senior police officer said, “What we thought about the gathering, the real number of visitors are much more and there is a certain craze over this mosque among the people of Murshidabad district as a whole. Some visitors also came from adjacent districts like Nadia, Malda, and North Dinajpur.”

On Wednesday, the TMC suspended Kabir, who is the MLA from Bharatpur, days after he “vowed” to build a replica of the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad. State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim announced the suspension, saying, “We noticed that one of our MLAs from Murshidabad suddenly declared that he would build the Babri Masjid. Why suddenly Babri Masjid? We had already warned him.”

Soil of Bengal is soil of unity: Mamata Banerjee

Taking to X on Saturday, Mamata Banerjee posted, “Unity is strength. At the outset, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and congratulations to everyone on the occasion of ‘Samhati Diwas’/ ‘Sampriti Diwas’. The soil of Bengal is the soil of unity. This soil is the soil of Rabindranath, the soil of Nazrul, the soil of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda—this soil has never bowed its head to division, and will never do so in the future.”

She added, “Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists — in Bengal, we all know how to walk shoulder to shoulder. We share joy. Because we believe that religion is for each individual, but festivals are for everyone. Our fight against those who are playing the game of destroying the country by stoking the fire of communalism will continue. May everyone maintain peace and harmony.”

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, meanwhile, appeared to target MLA Kabir in post that did not mention him by name. Adhikari said, “People who believe in Islam will build mosques, Hindus will build temples, Sikhs will build gurudwaras, no objection to that. But we have objection to naming. Mughals, Pathans came to occupy India, committed atrocities, forced conversions. Destroyed temples, robbed the honour of mothers and sisters. All Indians object to naming Babri. If they support it, they are playing with fire.”