Suspended Trinamool MLA Humayun Kabir on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a replica of the Babri mosque in Murshidabad’s Rejinagar, drawing thousands from the minority community, many carrying bricks and sand to contribute to the construction. The event triggered a political slugfest, with BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya accusing the Trinamool Congress of attempting to polarise voters.
Malviya alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was using Kabir to influence Muslim sentiment for political gain, adding that inputs from Beldanga had caused “serious concern.”
On Friday, the Calcutta High Court directed the state government to maintain law and order and ensure communal harmony, though it declined to intervene in a PIL seeking a stay on the foundation ceremony.
At the event, after cutting a ceremonial ribbon in the presence of clerics, Kabir claimed that ₹80 crore would be raised from various organisations for the mosque, and that a hospital, school and helipad would also be built on the site.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Chairperson Mamata Banerjee gave the message of unity on social media.