Tension gripped Bengal’s communally sensitive Murshidabad district on Saturday as suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid-style mosque, scheduled deliberately on the anniversary of the 1992 demolition in Ayodhya. The event unfolded amid heavy police deployment, central forces, and tight administrative monitoring to prevent any flare-up.
Dhori Machh Naa Chhui Paani.
This proverb means, “to get something done without getting your hands dirty”.
Mamata Banerjee has decided to polarise Muslims in West Bengal through her MLA Humayun Kabir, while distancing herself from him.
In this video we see Muslims carrying… pic.twitter.com/syrA1Sx58o
— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) December 6, 2025
A recitation of the Quran was held at noon before the ceremony began. Kabir claimed the event drew thousands of attendees, including two clerics from Saudi Arabia. As supporters carried bricks toward the site in Beldanga, chants of “Nara-e-Takbeer” and “Allahu Akbar” echoed through the area.
Visuals from the ground showed security personnel turning the locality into a virtual fortress. Riot police patrolled the streets as district authorities remained on high alert.
Humayun Kabir claimed the event drew thousands of attendees, including two clerics from Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Social media)
Murshidabad, with a 67% Muslim population, has seen volatile communal tensions in the past. In April, protests over the Waqf Bill spiralled into violence, leaving at least five people dead and several others injured.
Massive Arrangements for Crowd Control and Feasting
The organisers deployed nearly 3,000 volunteers to prevent road blockades and ensure uninterrupted traffic along NH-12. Preparations included contracting seven catering agencies to serve shahi biryani to nearly 40,000 guests and 20,000 residents.
A close aide of Kabir said food arrangements alone cost ₹30 lakh, with the overall budget exceeding ₹70 lakh.
Kabir, suspended from the TMC earlier this week, had announced the mosque plan earlier in December, attracting fierce criticism from the BJP. The matter reached the Calcutta High Court, which refused to halt construction but directed the state government to ensure law and order is maintained.
Kabir alleged that “conspiracies were being hatched to disrupt the event” but insisted the police and district administration were cooperating. The ruling Trinamool Congress, however, distanced itself from the event, declaring that it would observe “Samhati Diwas” (Unity Day) to promote communal harmony.
BJP Accuses TMC of Polarisation; TMC Hits Back
The BJP launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee government. Party IT Cell chief Amit Malviya claimed the project was “not a religious effort but a political one, designed to inflame emotions and consolidate vote banks… Mamata Banerjee will not stop at anything, even if it means pushing West Bengal towards turmoil.”
Former state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh alleged the TMC was stoking communal passions ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, saying, “TMC is using Humayun Kabir as a freelancer to create tension before elections.” Referring to the newly inaugurated Ram Mandir, he added that “it is time to forget the Babri Masjid.”
The TMC dismissed the allegations as baseless, with a senior party leader saying that Kabir was “on the payroll of the BJP” and functioning as its agent to provoke violence. “The people of Murshidabad are peace-loving and do not support his provocations,” the leader said.
