3 min readKolkataUpdated: Dec 4, 2025 12:53 PM IST
Kabir, who had been invited along with other leaders to attend Banerjee’s anti-SIR rally in Berhampore on Thursday, said he was informed of the decision just beforehand. (Photo: X/@humayunaitc)
Hours before Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s scheduled address at Berhampore in Murshidabad district, the party on Wednesday suspended its Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir, days after he “vowed” to build a replica of the Babri Masjid in the district.
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. As per the decision of our party, we are suspending MLA Humayun Kabir.”
Kabir, who had been invited along with other leaders to attend Banerjee’s anti-SIR rally in Berhampore on Thursday, said he was informed of the decision just beforehand. “I will quit the party tomorrow, and on December 22 I will form a new political party. We will fight the upcoming Assembly election,” he said.
He added, “I am not backtracking from my decision to build the Babri Masjid, and its stone-laying ceremony will be held on December 6, the day the Babri Masjid was demolished.”
Kabir had earlier announced his plan to lay the foundation stone of the Babri Masjid replica in Murshidabad’s Beldanga on December 6 despite strong reservations from the party. The Trinamool leadership had conveyed to him that neither Banerjee nor the party would associate with such a proposal, especially ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.
Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose questioned the state government on why Kabir had not been arrested if his statements posed a law-and-order concern. “The reports I have received from the field, intelligence agencies and local opinion leaders indicate that someone is deliberately trying to turn Murshidabad into a hub of scandal. This will not be allowed,” he said.
Noting that this was “not merely a matter of building a place of worship”, the Governor said that if communal sentiments were being inflamed, the state and its government “will not remain mute spectators”.
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The administration is already on high alert in Murshidabad. During her visit to the district on Tuesday, Banerjee held several rounds of meetings with administrative heads and party leaders to discuss the issue.
Kabir had been warned multiple times by the party leadership for making controversial statements in the media. The Chief Minister, too, had cautioned him earlier. “Mamata Banerjee spoke to every single leader in Murshidabad about this issue. The party leadership was fully aware of his activities, and only then was the decision to suspend him taken,” a senior TMC leader said.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
