Tension in Murshidabad as suspended TMC MLA lays foundation stone for Babri-Style mosque on demolition anniversary

Tension gripped West Bengal’s communally sensitive Murshidabad district on Saturday as suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir went ahead with laying the foundation stone for a mosque modelled after the Babri Masjid, coinciding with the 32nd anniversary of the Babri demolition in Ayodhya.

The event, held in Beldanga amid heavy security deployment, drew thousands of supporters, according to Kabir. A Quran recitation took place at noon, followed by the foundation-stone ceremony, where slogans of “Nara-e-Takbeer” and “Allahu Akbar” were raised. Visuals from the ground showed supporters carrying bricks on their heads in a symbolic gesture ahead of the event.

Local authorities turned the area into a security fortress, with riot-control units, central forces, and district police patrolling the roads to prevent any breach of peace. The Centre informed the Calcutta High Court that 19 companies of central armed forces were already stationed in the district as a precautionary measure.

Suspended MLA goes ahead despite political backlash

The ceremony was carried out days after Kabir was suspended from the Trinamool Congress over his insistence on constructing a “Babri-style” mosque. The project, announced earlier this month, triggered political outrage, particularly from the BJP, which accused Kabir of deliberately stoking communal sentiments.

Kabir, who has previously been associated with both the Congress and the BJP, claimed that “conspiracies” were being plotted to obstruct the ceremony. He maintained, however, that the district administration and police had extended full cooperation.

The ruling TMC has distanced itself from the event and announced the observance of ‘Samhati Diwas’ (Unity Day) to promote communal harmony on the same date.

High Court declines to halt ceremony, emphasizes Law-and-Order

The controversy also reached the Calcutta High Court after petitioner Dr. Abdus Salam Shaikh sought a stay on the foundation-laying ceremony, citing concerns over possible communal tensions. The petitioner had earlier written to the Superintendent of Police on November 30, urging preventive measures.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, however, refused to intervene. The court noted that the primary concern was law-and-order management, an area where the State has full authority and responsibility.

Recording the State’s assurance that security would be strictly maintained, the Bench disposed of the petition.

“The State must act as per its stand and the law and order situation shall be maintained in Murshidabad strictly, and the lives and properties of the citizens will be protected,” the court said.

Advocate General Kishore Datta assured the Bench that the administration was alert and fully prepared to prevent unrest.

Context: 33 years after Babri demolition, Ayodhya’s new mosque timeline emerges

The foundation-stone event in Murshidabad coincides with the 33rd anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 — an event that drastically reshaped India’s socio-political landscape.

Meanwhile in Ayodhya, separate from the Murshidabad controversy, the chairman of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), Zufar Faruqi, said that the rollout of the new Dhannipur mosque project could begin around April 2026, if the Ayodhya Development Authority approves the revised layout plan expected to be submitted by the end of December.

The Dhannipur mosque project is being constructed in compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2019 Ayodhya verdict, which allotted an alternative five-acre plot for a new mosque after the court awarded the original site to the Ram temple trust.

Security maintained, no major incident reported

As of Saturday evening, no major incident of violence or unrest was reported in Murshidabad. Security forces continued flag marches in several areas, with officials saying that tight vigil would remain in place through the weekend.

Kabir maintained that his project was aimed at “religious service and not politics,” even as political tensions continue to simmer in the district.

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