New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS) Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday criticised the foundation-laying ceremony of a Babri Masjid-style mosque by suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir, alleging that the act was not an individual initiative but part of a political strategy backed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Giriraj Singh claimed, “It is not Humayun Kabir, but Mamata Banerjee who has orchestrated this. She is creating drama and extracting statements from her MPs as part of a planned narrative.”
He further alleged that the ceremony was an attempt to reignite Hindu-Muslim tensions.
“Mamata Banerjee has raised this issue with the hidden agenda of rebuilding the Babri Masjid. The foundation stone was laid under a well-planned strategy. There are protests not just in West Bengal, but she will have to face consequences across the country,” he added.
BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh also condemned the development.
Tarun Chugh told IANS, "The embodiment of cruelty, CM Mamata Banerjee, should explain to the public how, under her leadership, Trinamool Congress in Bengal are allowing mosques to be built in the name of Babur, a brutal invader who destroyed temples and massacred millions of Hindus. The country will follow the ideology of Parashuram, not the path of foreign invaders and looters. Mamata Banerjee is endangering Bengal, but the people of Bengal will give a strong response."
Tensions escalated in Murshidabad on Saturday after Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone of the structure amid heavy security. The event was scheduled on the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, which took place in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
The ceremony began with a recitation of the Quran, followed by the laying of the foundation stone. Kabir claimed that thousands attended the event, including clerics from Saudi Arabia. Slogans such as “Nara-e-Takbeer” and “Allahu Akbar” were heard at the venue.
Kabir, who was suspended from the Trinamool Congress earlier this week over the controversy, had publicly announced the plan in advance, inviting sharp reactions from the BJP. The matter even reached the Calcutta High Court, which declined to halt construction but directed the state government to ensure that law and order is maintained.
Speaking after the ceremony, Kabir said that a budget of Rs 300 crore had already been secured for the mosque in Beldanga and that it would replicate the original structure demolished in Ayodhya. He also alleged attempts to sabotage the event but acknowledged cooperation from the police and district administration.
Meanwhile, distancing itself from Kabir’s actions, the Trinamool Congress announced that it would observe Samhati Diwas (Unity Day) to promote communal harmony amid rising tensions.
--IANS
jk/rad