Tension was high in Murshidabad, Bengal, on Saturday as suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone for a Babri-Style Mosque. This event was timed to mark the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
MLA Kabir Lays foundation for Babri-Style Mosque
A recitation of the Quran took place at noon, followed by the foundation stone-laying ceremony. Kabir claimed thousands attended, including two clerics from Saudi Arabia. Supporters chanted ‘Nara-e-Takbeer’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’ at the site.
Visuals showed the MLA’s supporters carrying bricks on their heads in Beldanga. The area resembled a fortress as riot police and central forces patrolled the streets to maintain order and prevent any communal unrest. Murshidabad has a 67% Muslim population and is considered a tinderbox. Just months ago, in April, five people died, and several were injured during protests against the Waqf bill.
BJP criticize the MLA
Kabir, who was suspended from the TMC earlier this week due to the controversial project, announced the ceremony this month. This drew sharp criticism from the opposition BJP.
The situation also reached the Calcutta High Court. The court refused to intervene in the mosque’s construction but instructed the Mamata Banerjee-led government to take steps to maintain law and order.
Kabir, who has worked with both the Congress and the BJP in the past, claimed there were conspiracies to disrupt the event. He insisted that both the police and district administration were fully cooperating.
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