A large public gathering organised by suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator Humayun Kabir in West Bengal's Beldanga area proceeded under a blanket of heavy security on Sunday, marking a significant and controversial mobilisation around a proposed mosque project.
Event Details and High-Voltage Speeches
The programme, which saw no reports of clashes according to local authorities, was addressed by Kabir from a specially constructed two-tier stage. The venue was situated approximately one kilometre away from the intended site for the new mosque. Kabir spoke before a crowd estimated at around 400 people.
In a move that added to the event's symbolic weight, Kabir introduced two clerics he described as hailing from Saudi Arabia. The atmosphere turned fervent as he cut a ceremonial ribbon amid loud chants of "Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar" from the attendees.
Directly addressing the controversy, Kabir defended the project's constitutionality. "There is nothing unconstitutional about this. Building a place of worship is a constitutional right. Babri Masjid will be built," he declared. He framed the initiative as a form of "emotional restitution" for the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992.
Responding to threats he claimed to have received over naming the mosque after Mughal emperor Babar, Kabir invoked demographic numbers. "There are 40 crore Muslims in the country and four crore in this state. Can we not build one mosque here?" he questioned the audience.
Massive Mobilisation and Financial Scale
The scale of the event extended beyond speeches into substantial commercial and logistical activity. Abdul Bashir, a local brick kiln owner, reported selling 32,000 bricks at Rs 10 per piece, a rate higher than the usual Rs 8, earning him over Rs 3 lakh from this single event.
Catering for the gathering was a major operation, with seven agencies preparing biryani for an estimated 30,000 people. An aide to Kabir informed PTI that the food expenses alone amounted to a staggering Rs 30 lakh, with the total budget for the event crossing Rs 70 lakh.
Fundraising was actively pursued during the event. Donation boxes were circulated among the crowd, and organisers announced a dedicated State Bank of India account for contributions. The account, set up in the name of the "West Bengal Islamic Foundation of India," also featured a QR code for digital donations.
Political Fallout and Accusations
The event triggered immediate and sharp reactions from across the political spectrum, with major parties moving to distance themselves from its implications.
The TMC, through its spokesman Kunal Ghosh, issued a cautious statement. While acknowledging the right to build religious structures on private land, Ghosh warned against exploiting such events for political gain. "Using such events to 'spread religious venom' for political gain crossed a line," he stated, drawing a clear boundary.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a fierce attack. Amit Malviya, the party's IT cell chief, alleged, "This so-called mosque project is not a religious effort but a political one, designed to inflame emotions and consolidate vote banks." Former Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh echoed this, accusing the TMC of deliberately stoking communal passions ahead of the crucial 2026 state assembly polls.
Adding her voice to the fray, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media platform X to issue a warning. Without naming any specific event, she cautioned against forces "igniting fire of communalism" and asserted that Bengal's soil "has never bowed down to division." Her statement was widely seen as a reference to the brewing controversy.
