Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir holds 22 km ‘Babri Yatra’ day after mosque replica construction begins
Janata Unayan Party chairman Humayun Kabir led a rally from Palashi Monument to Beldanga. It began with a bike procession up to Rejinagar, followed by a foot march.
Pointing out that the final voters’ list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is due to be published on February 28, Kabir alleged that while most names deleted have been those of Hindus, Muslims were being singled out and harassed through repeated hearings.
(File Photo)
A day after suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir commenced construction of a Babri Masjid replica at Beldanga in West Bengal’s Murshidabad, the Janata Unayan Party chairman on Thursday led a rally from Palashi to the site of the proposed mosque.
Initially, Kabir’s ‘Babri Yatra’ was to begin from Palashi in Nadia district and travel 265 kilometres to Itahar in North Dinajpur district, with 100 vehicles carrying six people each. The yatra, however, was cancelled due to the ongoing state board higher secondary or Class 12 examinations.
Kabir had said that the Malda police had asked him to postpone the rally. Instead, he led a smaller one on Thursday, covering 22 km from Palashi Monument to Beldanga. The rally began with a bike procession up to Rejinagar, followed by a foot march to Beldanga. A local police official said that Kabir did not have police permission for the rally.
Defending the construction of the mosque, Kabir told the media, “If one builds a Durga Angana, Jagannath temple in Digha, or a Kali temple, then that is legal, and if we Muslims build a mosque, then that is illegal. If a child is born in my house, I will decide what name to give—Babar or Saddam—this freedom I have from the Constitution of this country. I will not take any advice from [US President] Donald Trump or Modi ji [PM Narendra Modi] or Yogi [Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath] or Mamata Banerjee.”
Pointing out that the final voters’ list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is due to be published on February 28, Kabir alleged that while most names deleted have been those of Hindus, Muslims were being singled out and harassed through repeated hearings.
“I will ensure that Mamata Banerjee loses elections, and the BJP also does not get to rule over Bengal. From the beginning, Mamata Banerjee and her administration kept posing problems in the building of the Babri Masjid along with some minority groups,” he claimed.
Former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said that nobody could win elections by building a “Babri Masjid lookalike mosque”. “If he wants to win, let him first work for the development of the minorities, which neither Mamata Banerjee nor the Congress have done. If people feel he has worked, they will vote for him,” Ghosh added.
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Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim echoed the sentiment. “We have no issues with who builds temples or mosques, but one who is building a religious place should not have any political interests linked with it. One should win votes on their work,” Hakim said.
Kabir laid the foundation stone for a mosque modelled on Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid on December 6 last year.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
