Controversy Erupts Over Mosque Foundation in West Bengal

A controversy has erupted in West Bengal following TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's announcement to lay a mosque's foundation stone modeled after the Babri Masjid. This has led to political tensions, with the BJP alleging polarization attempts and TMC distancing itself from Kabir's plans.

A major controversy has erupted in poll-bound West Bengal following an announcement by TMC MLA Humayun Kabir to lay the foundation stone of a mosque modeled after the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad on December 6. The event, associated with the 33rd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, has become a flashpoint, with the Trinamool Congress quickly distancing itself from Kabir's plans.

Posters promoting the 'Babri Masjid' foundation event surfaced across Beldanga, with several being vandalized, triggering tensions in the communally sensitive district. Kabir, however, remains defiant, asserting his religious right and maintaining that the mosque's construction is a demand of the local populace. In response, TMC has initiated disciplinary actions against him, while the BJP claims the ruling party's ecosystem promotes such actions for electoral gains.

The Congress has called for restraint amid rising fears of communal polarization ahead of the April-May assembly elections, particularly in demographically sensitive districts. The situation highlights the delicate balance of political and religious tensions in a region with a history of communal sensitivity.

(With inputs from agencies.)