Suspended TMC MLA Lays Controversial Babri Mosque Foundation in West Bengal Amid Political Tensions

Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone for a mosque, modelled on Ayodhya's Babri Masjid, in Murshidabad.

Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a mosque modelled on Ayodhya's Babri Masjid at Rejinagar in Murshidabad district amid unprecedented security, heightening political tensions in West Bengal ahead of next year's assembly elections.

The ceremony was deliberately scheduled for December 6, marking the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. State police, RAF, and central forces transformed areas of Rejinagar and neighboring Beldanga into secured zones for the event.

From a large stage positioned approximately one kilometer from the proposed mosque site, Kabir participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside visiting clerics, while thousands of supporters carrying symbolic bricks chanted "Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar."

"There is nothing unconstitutional about this. Building a place of worship is a constitutional right. Babri Masjid will be built," Kabir declared, claiming that four lakh people attended the gathering.

Addressing the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, Kabir framed the project as emotional healing: "Thirty-three years ago, a deep wound was inflicted on the hearts of Muslims. Today, we are applying a small balm to that wound." He mentioned receiving threats after announcing plans for the mosque.

Referencing demographics, he stated: "There are 40 crore Muslims in this country and four crore in this state. Can we not build one mosque here?" The event featured clerics from Saudi Arabia on stage, while Quranic verses played through loudspeakers.

Nearby, the BJP organized its own religious demonstration as party leader Sakharav Sarkar laid the foundation stone for a Ram temple in Banjatiya's Manindra Nagar in Baharampur. "This Babri mosque is not just Humayun Kabir's project. The state administration and the TMC are involved," he alleged.

Earlier that day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted on X: "The soil of Bengal is the soil of unity of Rabindranath, Nazrul, Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. This land has never bowed its head before divisive politics, nor will it ever do so. Faith is personal, but festivals belong to all." She affirmed that the "battle against communal forces" would continue.

The Rejinagar event prompted immediate political reactions. The BJP accused TMC of secretly encouraging polarization while publicly distancing itself from Kabir.

BJP leader Amit Malviya claimed on X that Kabir's supporters were seen carrying bricks to construct what he termed a Babri Masjid and alleged police support for the MLA. "This so-called mosque project is not a religious effort but a political one, posing a serious threat to West Bengal's stability," he posted, warning that Mamata Banerjee was "pushing West Bengal towards turmoil".

Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari stated that "the seed of Mughal-Pathan politics had been sown in Murshidabad today," adding that naming the mosque after an "invader" was insulting. "Babur represents tyranny and destruction. Supporting this is playing with fire," he said.

Adhikari spoke during a 'Shourya Yatra' in north Kolkata commemorating the Babri Masjid demolition. The procession, organized by the apolitical religious group 'Singha Bahini,' featured monks and participants carrying tridents and calling for Hindu unity ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Senior TMC leaders claimed the suspended MLA was "on the payroll of the BJP" and acting as its agent to provoke unrest. "The people of Murshidabad are peace-loving and do not support his provocations," a TMC leader stated.

The Congress accused both TMC and BJP of exploiting religious anxieties in a district with historical communal tensions. Hundreds of Congress workers in Kolkata held a 'Sadbhawna Rally' from a mosque to a temple, urging rejection of post-Babri demolition communal fears.

"Temples and mosques will not give people jobs or food. Politics of division must stop," state Congress chief Subhankar Sarkar declared.

Kabir's political journey added further complexity to the situation. Formerly with Congress before joining TMC, briefly switching to BJP and then returning, Kabir has developed a reputation for controversy. His suspension followed multiple conflicts with leadership.

During Saturday's event, he suggested launching a new party later this month, indicating plans to expand his influence rather than retreating.

Local authorities struggled with crowd management as National Highway 12 experienced hours of congestion with vehicles lining the Kolkata-bound lane. Many attendees walked 7-8 km, with some crossing fields to reach the venue.

While no significant incidents were reported, surveillance remained heightened across communally sensitive areas of Murshidabad, with QRT teams deployed.

The event preceded another major religious gathering in Kolkata, where organizers anticipated nearly five lakh devotees participating in a collective Bhagavad Gita chanting session at Brigade Parade Grounds, with top state BJP leaders and yoga guru Baba Ramdev expected to attend.

As floodlights illuminated thousands of raised bricks at Rejinagar, what began as a foundation ceremony ultimately revealed the complex intersection of faith, identity, and electoral calculations in politically charged West Bengal.