Kolkata: A fiery political controversy has erupted in West Bengal after Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir announced plans to lay the foundation stone for a new Babri Masjid in Murshidabad’s Beldanga on 6 December, marking the 33rd anniversary of the mosque’s demolition in Ayodhya.
The declaration has ignited a fierce debate, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the TMC of stoking communal tensions ahead of the 2026 state elections.
Kabir, a vocal TMC legislator from Bharatpur, told reporters the mosque’s construction, expected to take three years, is a personal mission to address the “suffering of Muslims” since 1992. He clarified it has no electoral motive, but the timing has drawn sharp criticism. BJP leaders, including spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, slammed it as “criminal politics”, alleging Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s tacit support. Union Minister Giriraj Singh claimed the move aims to “lay the foundation of Bangladesh” by appeasing minority voters.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee, caught in the crossfire, distanced the TMC from Kabir’s statement, focusing instead on her party’s annual Samhati Diwas rally on December 6 to promote communal harmony. Her recent announcements to build a Durga temple in Kolkata and a Mahakal temple in Siliguri have also drawn the BJP’s ire, with leaders like Roopa Ganguly accusing her of divisive tactics.
Congress and CPI(M) have urged restraint, warning against polarising rhetoric. As posters for the proposed mosque surfaced in Murshidabad, Governor C V Ananda Bose questioned the intent, urging unity. With tensions simmering, West Bengal braces for a charged political showdown.