Kolkata, Dec 3 (PTI) West Bengal’s political voltage spiked on Wednesday after rebel TMC MLA Humayun Kabir insisted that he would go ahead with his December 6 ‘shilanyas’ of a mosque modelled on the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad, defying Raj Bhawan’s apprehensions, and warned that any attempt by the state administration to stop him would trigger massive resistance.
Kabir, who has been in open confrontation with the ruling party and officials for months, told reporters that his programme would go ahead “under constitutional rights” and could draw “lakhs” of people.
He claimed 2,000 volunteers would be on the ground to ensure “no inconvenience to any community” and teased “a surprise” at the event.
Slamming Raj Bhavan, he described the Governor C V Ananda Bose’s letter to the state government, flagging fears of a law-and-order disturbance as “baseless”, “politically coloured” and “outside constitutional discipline”.
“He is not an elected person. Law and order is the state government’s responsibility. His fear is meaningless, his advice unnecessary,” Kabir said.
The Murshidabad administration has not granted permission. District officials said a law-and-order review was underway.
Kabir responded with an escalation, “If the administration tries to stop us, the highway from Rejinagar to Beharampur will be blocked. My message is simple – don’t play with fire.” The confrontation caps a week of rising tension in Beldanga, where posters announcing the “Babri Masjid shilanyas” appeared before being torn down.
Police sources described the symbolic weight of the Babri label as “high-risk”, especially in an election season.
“This is a moment where symbolism can mobilise faster than action. Even a peaceful ceremony can become a flashpoint depending on who tries to appropriate or oppose it,” a district TMC leader said.
Kabir’s political drift has long unsettled the TMC.
A serial turncoat shifting between Congress, TMC, BJP and back to TMC, he has challenged district officials, accused them of operating as “RSS agents”, and recently floated the idea of launching his own outfit.
TMC leaders in Murshidabad privately say he has been functioning “as a free agent”, ignoring repeated warnings.
His choice of December 6 is seen as a deliberate political signal. The day marks the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid.
For the TMC, the day is observed as ‘Sanghati Dibas’, an anti-communal remembrance. The state government has also declared a holiday on December 6 this year.
Kabir’s decision to launch a “Babri Masjid Shilanyas” on the same date is being read across the political spectrum as an attempt to carve out a counter-narrative in a district with high minority concentration.
The TMC officially downplayed his plans.
State minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury questioned even the naming of the proposed mosque.
“Muslim issues will not be solved by calling or laying the foundation stone of a mosque after Babri Masjid,” he said.
“Islamic scholars will decide the name. This looks like an attempt to attract attention by stirring emotions.” The BJP accused the ruling party of enabling Kabir for polarisation.
“The TMC wants communal tension. They are letting him escalate the situation deliberately to serve their interests of polarisation ahead of elections,” state BJP leader Keya Ghosh said.
The CPI (M) used the moment to lampoon Bengal’s fluid political loyalties.
“One leader (Suvendu Adhikari) was in TMC till 2020, now in BJP calling for Hindu mobilisation. Another was in BJP (Kabir) till 2019, now in TMC calling Muslims to unite behind him. This is Bengal’s revolving-door politics,” CPI (M) leader Saikat Giri had said.
Political observers say the real contest on December 6 may be narrative, not numbers.
With the Assembly elections months away, Kabir’s defiance, tied to a mosque shaped in the memory of Babri Masjid, has turned an unapproved foundation stone into Bengal’s latest flashpoint, whose fallout will hinge on the administration’s response and how parties exploit or contain the evolving situation in Murshidabad. PTI PNT MNB
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