Murshidabad: Suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the construction of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad and said that no one can move a single brick as the 37 per cent Muslim population of Bengal will build it at any cost.
He drew attention to the constitutional right to build places of worship and said that he is not doing anything unconstitutional, "as anyone can make a temple or church, so can I".
Addressing the gathering, Kabir said, "I am not doing anything unconstitutional. Anyone can build a temple, anyone can build a church; I will build a mosque. It is being said that we cannot build the Babri Masjid. It is not written anywhere. The Supreme Court gave a judgment which stated that the Hindu people had demolished the Babri Masjid. Considering the sentiments of Hindus, the decision was taken to build a temple here. Now we see someone laying the foundation stone for a Ram Temple in Sagardighi. But the Constitution allows us to build a mosque." Kabir asserted that legal challenges would not deter the mosque's construction. "Five cases have been filed against me, but no one can stop someone with whom Allah is. The court has also clearly stated that it is written in the Constitution of India that one can build a mosque; it is a right," he said.
He referred to the demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, calling it a historically controversial site. "There are four crore Muslims in Bengal. Don't they have the right to build the Babri Masjid? Threats have been made against me, including by the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. If anyone has the courage, let them come here to Murshidabad and show it," he said.
Kabir added that a 300-crore budget has been allocated for the mosque, which will also include a hospital, guesthouse, and meeting hall. He reiterated his commitment to the project and said, "It is a promise of the Muslims: The Babri Masjid will be built, it will be built, it will be built." Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of deliberately fuelling religious polarisation in the state by allowing suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir to polarise Muslims.
The BJP questioned the delay in Kabir's suspension, pointing out that he had earlier made statements threatening Hindus, saying Muslims constitute 70 per cent and Hindus merely 30 per cent in the district. They alleged that the move was politically motivated rather than a religious initiative, and warned that Mamata Banerjee's inaction could risk instability in the state.
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