Trinamool MLA’s ‘Babri Masjid’ construction claim triggers political row in West Bengal

Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir’s claim of laying the foundation stone of a “Babri Masjid” in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district has stirred politics in the election-bound State, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming that this is an attempt to turn “West Bengal into West Bangladesh”.

The claims of construction of “Babri Masjid” have given a handle to the BJP, with State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya saying that such remarks were an attempt to turn “West Bengal into West Bangladesh”.

Mr. Kabir, who is an MLA from the Bharatpur Assembly constituency, has over the past several days stated that he will start construction of “Babri Masjid” on December 6, the day the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya in 1992. While the place where the mosque will be set up has not yet been confirmed, posters in support of “Babri Masjid” have come up in the Beldanga area of the district.

Mr. Kabir has said that even the Supreme Court had directed that a mosque should be constructed in Ayodhya, but any mosque which is “constructed by non-Muslims is not considered holy”.

“It is my constitutional right to construct a mosque,” the MLA said. Mr. Kabir has even appeared to throw a challenge to the State government and said, “If the State government can give honorarium to Durga Puja clubs, hold a carnival and all of it is constitutional, then how can construction of a mosque be unconstitutional”. The Bharatpur MLA has, over the past several months, often targeted his party and even threatened to quit and contest Assembly elections as an independent candidate.

The claims of construction of “Babri Mosque” have given a handle to the BJP, with the State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya saying that such remarks were an attempt to turn “West Bengal into West Bangladesh”. “We are not far from the time when West Bengal will be turned into West Bangladesh. Some people are saying that they will construct Babri Masjid. They can do it if they have guts. So far there have been no comments by the Chief Minister [Mamata Banerjee] on the issue. So, we have to believe that this is her [Chief Minister’s] agenda also,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.

The Trinamool Congress leadership has officially not reacted to the claims by its MLA. It is also interesting to note that Mr. Kabir, who has often been accused of making communally charged remarks, was a member of the BJP a few years ago and even contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Murshidabad on a BJP ticket.

Murshidabad district has been one of the most volatile districts of the State, witnessing several incidents of political and communal violence over the past few years. In April 2025, the district witnessed communal riots over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, where three people died and hundreds were left homeless. A section of those affected by violence had to flee to adjoining Malda district to escape violence.