Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday suspended its MLA Humayun Kabir from the party days after he proposed to build Babri Masjid's replica in West Bengal's Murshidabad on December 6. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim confirmed the development to the media.
"We noticed that one of our MLAs from Murshidabad suddenly declared that he would build the Babri Masjid. Why suddenly Babri Masjid? We already warned him. As per the decision of our party, TMC, we are suspending MLA Humayun Kabir," the Kolkata Mayor said.
He also told reporters that Kabir was suspended with the approval of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party's General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Last month, the Bharatpur MLA had revealed his plans to build the replica of the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad. He had said that he would lay the foundation stone of the mosque on December 6. Notably, on December 6, 1992, the 16th-century mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya was demolished by members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu groups.
Political Reaction On Kabir's Remarks:
Kabir's remark about building the Babri Masjid replica sparked a political storm, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slamming the West Bengal CM. Reacting strongly to Kabir's remarks, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh asserted that while people are free to construct places of worship on their own land, no structure in India would ever be built in the name of Mughal ruler Babur.
"Anyone can build a temple or a mosque on their own land, but no mosque will be built in India in the name of Babur. The Hindu community protested against him for 450 years, destroyed his structures, and later built the Ram temple. Babar was an invader; nothing will be made in his name here," Ghosh stated.
West Bengal BJP secretary Priyanka Tibrewal termed Kabir's remarks as "appeasement politics."
"TMC's secularism is religion-specific. When they say they will re-establish the Babri Masjid, I want to know who they will call to that Babri Masjid? Those Rohingyas who are now in fear of SIR running to the border areas? Build the Babri Masjid, where Babar came from? This is nothing but appeasement politics...," she had said.
BJP leader Rahul Sinha also criticised Kabir for "politicising" the issue, while stating that they do not have an objection to building a mosque in the state.
Even Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu too slammed Kabir.
