Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a mosque in Beldanga, which he has described as being modelled on the Babri Masjid, doing so amid an extraordinary security deployment and rising political tensions in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.
The ceremony began at noon with a recitation of the Quran, followed by Huamyun Kabir laying the foundation stone on a specially erected stage. Clerics accompanying him cut a ceremonial ribbon as supporters gathered in large numbers. Chants of “Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar” echoed through the grounds.
Humayun Kabir later told reporters that over 2,000 people had attended the programme and that “supporters carried bricks to the site as a mark of devotion.” Visuals circulating online showed groups walking towards the venue with bricks balanced on their heads.
Rejinagar and Beldanga resembled fortified zones as contingents of the Rapid Action Force, central forces and district police patrolled the region. Officers closely monitored the stretch along National Highway 12, a vital corridor that authorities feared could be targeted if unrest broke out.
Kabir, who was suspended from the TMC earlier this week for what the party termed “communal politics”, went ahead with the ceremony despite the disciplinary action. His decision, coupled with the symbolic timing of the event, triggered sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party, who accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of engineering a “calculated political manoeuvre”.
The West Bengal BJP, posting a video of the event on X, used the Bengali proverb “Dhori Machh Naa Chhui Paani”, roughly translating to “getting something done without getting one’s hands dirty.” The party questioned why Kabir’s suspension came only now, asking, “Why was he not suspended earlier when he claimed Muslims are 70 per cent and Hindus only 30 per cent in Murshidabad?”
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya issued an extended statement accusing the Chief Minister of deliberately heightening tensions. “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is playing with fire,” Malviya wrote. “Reports emerging from Beldanga have triggered serious concern, with Mamata Banerjee using ‘suspended’ TMC MLA Humayun Kabir to polarise Muslim sentiment for political gain.” He added that local accounts suggested Kabir’s supporters were “carrying bricks to construct what he claims will be a Babri Masjid”, and that Kabir had allegedly boasted of receiving police protection.
Malviya also emphasised Beldanga’s strategic importance stating, “Any organised disturbance could lead to a blockade of NH-12, which connects North Bengal to the rest of the state. Such a scenario would have grave implications for law and order and may even impact national security.” He alleged that Banerjee’s response reflected “calculated political intent rather than a commitment to preserving harmony.”
The administration had heightened surveillance in the days leading up to the event, wary of Murshidabad’s history of communal flashpoints. The sheer scale of security deployment on Saturday underscored those concerns, even as the ceremony proceeded without major incident.
