Trinamool MLA's 'Babri Masjid' remark sparks political controversy
What's the story
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir has sparked a political controversy with his announcement to lay the foundation stone of a "Babri Masjid" in Beldanga, Murshidabad district, on December 6. The date marks the 33rd anniversary of the Babri mosque demolition in Ayodhya. Kabir said the project would take three years to complete and involve several Muslim leaders at its inauguration.
Political backlash
BJP accuses TMC of stoking communal tensions
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed Kabir's announcement, accusing the TMC of inciting communal tensions for electoral gains. BJP spokesperson Yaser Jilani accused Kabir of "politics purely for appeasement" and said he was "intentionally creating communal tension in Bengal." Union minister Sukanta Majumdar also slammed Kabir, saying he was trying to intimidate Hindus and damage harmony in Bengal.
Divided opinion
Congress leaders express mixed reactions to Kabir's announcement
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said anyone could build a mosque, but questioned the need for a Babri replica. Another Congress MP, Surendra Rajput, asked why building places of worship was controversial. The All India Imam Association also responded, with president Maulana Sajid Rashidi saying that once a mosque is built at a place, it remains one forever.
Secular stance
CPI(M) criticizes government's role in building religious structures
CPI(M) State General Secretary V Srinivas Rao criticized the announcement on constitutional grounds, saying it is not the government's responsibility to build religious structures. He argued that governments should act as secular institutions. The TMC leadership has not officially commented on Kabir's remarks, but they have already become a major political flashpoint ahead of West Bengal's election season.