PIL in Calcutta HC seeks stay on Murshidabad Babri Masjid-style mosque project
Petition targets suspended Trinamool MLA Humayun Kabir, who laid the Beldanga mosque’s foundation despite his suspension
A fresh legal storm has erupted in Murshidabad as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed on Wednesday in the Calcutta High Court, seeking an immediate halt to the construction of a mosque modelled after the controversial Babri Masjid.
The petition targets suspended Trinamool Congress leader and Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir, who recently laid the foundation stone in Beldanga despite his suspension from the party.
Filed before the bench of acting chief justice Sujoy Paul, the PIL argues that the mosque’s nomenclature — invoking the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute in Ayodhya — risks disturbing the delicate fabric of communal harmony in the state. It further questions how Kabir, an elected legislator, could proceed with construction without requisite permission from the district administration.
The petitioner contends that such actions may infringe upon citizens’ fundamental rights under Articles 14, 21, and 25 of the Constitution, urging the court to intervene immediately. The matter is slated for hearing next week.
Kabir, undeterred by his suspension from the Trinamool Congress on 4 December for alleged anti-party activities, pressed ahead with his programme on 6 December. He announced that construction would commence in the first week of February, preceded by recitation of the Quran by one lakh voices, a symbolic prelude to the mosque’s rise.
The development has sparked widespread debate, with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee weighing in. Speaking at a public gathering in Berhampore, CM Banerjee underscored the region’s rich cultural tapestry and history, invoking the legacy of Murshidabad’s Nawabs and Siraj-ud-Daulah. “Trinamool Congress does not practise communal politics and is firmly against it,” she said. “The people of Murshidabad will never accept the politics of riots.”
The controversy surrounding Kabir’s decision has brought communal sensitivities and political tensions into sharp focus, highlighting the delicate balancing act between individual rights, public sentiment, and the preservation of social harmony in one of Bengal’s historically rich districts.
With IANS inputs