§  Suspended TMC MLA Defies Party Suspension

§  Lays Babri Masjid Foundation Stone Amid Saudi Clerics and Massive Biryani Feast in Murshidabad

§  Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir lays Babri Masjid foundation on demolition anniversary

§  Saudi clerics, 40,000 biryani packets, 3,000 security in Murshidabad communal tension

Babri Masjid: Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir defiantly laid the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid-style mosque in West Bengal’s communally sensitive Murshidabad district on Saturday, December 6, 2025—precisely on the 33rd anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya.

The massive ceremony, held amid extraordinary security comprising nearly 3,000 personnel, featured visiting Saudi Arabian clerics, shahi biryani feasts for approximately 40,000 guests and demonstrative displays of brick-carrying supporters in what observers characterized simultaneously as religious devotion and calculated political symbolism.

The event sparked explosive political confrontation: the BJP accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of covertly orchestrating communal polarization through the suspended MLA ahead of 2026 assembly elections, while the TMC claimed Kabir functioned as a “freelancer” operating on “BJP payroll” to instigate violence.

The Calcutta High Court declined to halt the ceremony, transferring responsibility for maintaining law and order entirely to the state government—effectively enabling the politically charged foundation-laying despite widespread administrative concerns regarding communal flashpoint potential.

The Defiant MLA: Humayun Kabir’s Prestige Fight Against TMC Party Suspension

Humayun Kabir, MLA from Bharatpur constituency in Murshidabad district, transformed his TMC suspension into a prestige battle—proceeding with the ceremonial foundation-laying despite party disciplinary action.

TMC’s Disciplinary Response

The Trinamool Congress suspended Kabir on Thursday, December 4, 2025, just two days before the ceremony, citing his engagement in “communal politics” and “provocative statements”.

Senior TMC Minister Firhad Hakim formally announced suspension, declaring: “There must be no communal provocation. We do not believe in communal provocation at this crucial moment before elections”.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee employed metaphorical language characterizing problematic party members as “insects and pests” requiring removal to prevent corruption of the broader organization.

Kabir’s Defiant Response

Kabir characterized his suspension as “deliberate humiliation,” vowing to proceed with the ceremony “at any cost” and announcing formation of his own political party by December 22, threatening to contest 135 assembly seats against TMC.

At Saturday’s ceremony, Kabir struck overtly confrontational tone: “Whatever the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) does, that is right. Whatever others say is wrong. Mamata Banerjee is so arrogant. What did minorities get by making her Chief Minister.?”

This statement simultaneously attacked his own party leadership while appealing to Muslim voters potentially disappointed with TMC governance.

The Ceremony: Saudi Clerics, Shahi Biryani and Communal Symbolism

The December 6, 2025, foundation-laying ceremony represented unprecedented scale logistical undertaking for a ground-breaking event, featuring international clerical delegation and massive feast provisions.

International Participation

Kabir claimed two qazis (Islamic scholars) from Saudi Arabia attended alongside religious leaders from multiple Indian states.

The Saudi clerics’ participation carried international significance: Saudi Arabia’s official Islam representation lending credibility to the project while generating international dimension to domestic Indian religious-political conflict.

Extraordinary Feast Provisions

Seven separate catering agencies contracted to prepare approximately 40,000 packets of shahi (royal) biryani—premium rice and meat delicacy—for ceremony attendees and additional 20,000 packets distributed to local residents.

Food expenses alone totaled Rs 30 lakh (approximately $36,000 USD) with overall ceremony budget exceeding Rs 70 lakh ($84,000 USD)—extraordinary expenditure for a foundation-laying event suggesting well-coordinated, well-funded political operation.

The shahi biryani—associated with Mughal imperial courts and Muslim royalty—represented symbolic choice: expensive, culturally prestigious feast demonstrating community resources and dignifying the religious project.

Ceremonial Schedule

Programme began with Quran recitation at 10 AM, formal foundation ceremony at noon, communal meal at 2 PM, complete dispersal by 4 PM as per police directives.

Ceremonial ribbon-cutting alongside Saudi clerics, with slogans “Nara-e-Takbeer” (God is Greatest) and “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great) raised throughout venue.

The Project: 25-Acre Babri Masjid Replica with Hospital, College, School, Hotel

Kabir envisioned extraordinarily ambitious religious-institutional complex extending far beyond mosque construction alone.

Project Components

·       Primary Mosque: 3-acre complex modeled on destroyed Ayodhya Babri Masjid

·       Medical College & Hospital: 300-bed facility occupying significant complex acreage

·       Educational Institution: School facility for community education

·       Hotel Accommodation: Commercial lodging for pilgrims and visitors

·       Helipad: Aerial transport access suggesting presidential/VIP-scale infrastructure

·       Total Property: 25 acres in Beldanga, Murshidabad district

·       Estimated Budget: Rs 300 crore (approximately $36 million USD)

This scope—transforming religious project into comprehensive institutional development—suggests intention to establish Murshidabad as major Islamic pilgrimage destination rivaling Ajmer Sharif or Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi.

Timing Symbolism: December 6, 1992—33 Years After Babri Masjid Demolition

The ceremony’s scheduling precisely on December 6, 2025—exactly 33 years after the Babri Masjid’s violent demolition by Hindu nationalist mobs in Ayodhya—represented deliberate temporal symbolism embedding communal memory into contemporary political action.

Historical Context

December 6, 1992, remains etched in India’s communal consciousness: thousands of Hindu nationalists demolished the 16th-century Babri Masjid following weeks of escalating communal tension, triggering subsequent communal violence across India claiming hundreds of lives.

The demolition represented historical trauma for Indian Muslims: destruction of architectural heritage, symbolic erasure of Islamic presence, perceived governmental complicity enabling Hindu nationalist aggression.

Kabir’s decision to lay Babri Masjid replica foundation precisely on demolition anniversary directly invoked this traumatic history, transforming ceremony into explicit commemoration: “Thirty-three years ago, a deep wound was inflicted. Today, we are applying a small balm to that wound”.

Murshidabad’s Communal Powder Keg: Historical Tensions and Recent Violence

Murshidabad district represents India’s most fragile communal balance: 67% Muslim-majority population amid broader Hindu-dominated nation creating persistent tension and occasional violent outbursts.

Recent Violence

April 2025—merely eight months before foundation ceremony—witnessed substantial unrest: approximately five deaths, numerous injuries during protests against national Waqf bill (legislation addressing religious endowment regulations).

That violence demonstrated Murshidabad’s capacity for rapid escalation from political disagreement to physical tragedy, making any communally charged ceremony inherent flashpoint risk.

NH-12 Strategic Sensitivity

National Highway 12, running through ceremony area, represents crucial infrastructure connecting North Bengal to state’s remaining regions.

Any communal disturbance potentially blocking NH-12 carries cascading consequences: economic disruption, supply chain interruption, regional isolation—concerns explicitly highlighting why administration deployed extraordinary security measures.

Security Theater: 3,000 Personnel, RAF Deployment, High-Security Fortress Transformation

Anticipating potential communal violence, authorities transformed Beldanga venue into military-grade security zone with unprecedented personnel deployment.

Security Deployment

·       Nearly 3,000 police and security personnel deployed across Beldanga and Raninagar jurisdictions

·       Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel stationed at both NH-12 sides

·       Central government security forces deployed preventing unauthorized access

·       District police manning all entry/exit points

·       Riot control equipment positioned throughout venue vicinity

·       Administrative officials maintaining continuous coordination

The security apparatus transformed Beldanga into “fortress”—observers’ terminology—suggesting militarized zone rather than religious ceremony location.

Volunteer Crowd Management

Organizers deployed approximately 3,000 volunteers managing crowd movement, regulating access roads, preventing NH-12 bottlenecks, dispersing attendees efficiently post-ceremony.

This dual security structure—official law enforcement plus organizer volunteers—suggests carefully choreographed event management attempting to balance ceremonial magnitude with orderly administration.

Political Controversy: BJP Accuses TMC of Deliberate Polarization, TMC Claims Kabir Acts Independently

The foundation ceremony ignited fierce inter-party political confrontation with BJP accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of orchestrating Muslim polarization through suspended MLA while TMC countered that Kabir operated as independent agent or secret BJP operative.

BJP’s Accusations

BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya declared: “This so-called mosque project is not religious effort but political one, designed to inflame emotions and consolidate vote banks. Mamata Banerjee will not stop at anything, even if it means pushing West Bengal towards turmoil”.

Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh alleged TMC deliberately stoked communal passions before 2026 assembly elections: “TMC is using Humayun Kabir as freelancer to create tension before elections”.

BJP criticized timing coinciding with newly inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya: “With the temple now built, it is time to forget the Babri Masjid”—explicitly attempting to dismiss religious commemoration as outdated grievance.

TMC’s Counter-Accusations

TMC rejected BJP charges as “baseless,” claiming Kabir functioned as secret BJP operative: “Humayun Kabir is on saffron party’s payroll and functions as its agent to provoke violence”.

TMC leadership distanced party from ceremony, establishing parallel “Samhati Diwas” (Unity Day) celebrating communal harmony—explicitly contrasting TMC’s stated position against Kabir’s divisive approach.

Party spokesperson insisted “Murshidabad people are peace-loving and do not support Kabir’s provocations”—claiming genuine grassroots sentiment opposed to MLA’s divisive project.

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Calcutta High Court’s Non-Intervention: Why Judicial Abdication Mattered

The Calcutta High Court’s December 5 ruling refusing to halt the ceremony proved pivotal in enabling Saturday’s foundation-laying despite administrative anxieties.

Court’s Reasoning

Division Bench led by Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul ruled that court intervention would exceed judicial authority regarding religious construction permissions and timing decisions.

Judges transferred law-and-order responsibility entirely to state government: “Court will not intervene at this stage. Maintenance of law and order during ceremony remains state government’s responsibility”.

This judicial abdication effectively greenlit the ceremony—lacking court prohibition, state administration lacked authority basis for prevention.

Kabir’s Political Future: New Party Formation and Legislative Ambitions

Beyond immediate foundation ceremony, Kabir announced transformative political restructuring: departure from TMC to establish independent political vehicle competing against party that suspended him.

Political Reorganization

·       New party announcement: December 22, 2025 (within two weeks post-ceremony)

·       Legislative candidate slate: 135 assembly seats (targeting 2026 elections)

·       MLA resignation: Threatened to resign current position and contest as independent candidate

·       Political positioning: Claiming role as Muslim community advocate abandoned by secular TMC

Kabir’s strategy represented political transformation: from suspended TMC loyalist to independent Muslim-focused politician potentially fragmenting Muslim voter bloc between TMC and his new political formation.

Key Facts Summary

·       Event Date: December 6, 2025 (Babri Masjid demolition anniversary—33 years after 1992)

·       Location: Beldanga, Murshidabad district, West Bengal

·       MLA: Humayun Kabir (Bharatpur constituency, suspended TMC)

·       TMC Suspension: December 4, 2025 (before ceremony)

·       Calcutta High Court: Refused to halt ceremony (December 5)

·       International Participation: 2 Saudi Arabian clerics, religious leaders from multiple states

·       Attendees: 40,000+ reported guests, 20,000 biryani packets for residents

·       Security Personnel: 3,000 deployed across Beldanga and Raninagar

·       Food Budget: Rs 30 lakh (7 catering agencies)

·       Total Event Budget: Rs 70 lakh+ (~$84,000 USD)

·       Project Scale: 25 acres, 300-bed hospital, school, college, hotel, helipad, estimated Rs 300 crore

·       Political Context: 2026 Bengal assembly elections, Kabir’s announced new party formation (December 22)

Conclusion: When Religious Commemoration Becomes Political Flashpoint—Murshidabad After December 6

The Babri Masjid foundation-laying ceremony in Murshidabad represents contemporary Indian politics’ persistent challenge: distinguishing genuine religious expression from calculated communal polarization.

The ceremony’s extraordinary elements—Saudi clerics, Rs 70 lakh budget, 40,000 shahi biryani packets, 3,000 security personnel—suggest meticulously orchestrated political operation transcending spontaneous religious devotion.

Yet Kabir’s defiance against party suspension and commitment to complete project despite political isolation suggests genuine conviction regarding mosque construction importance or personal commitment sustaining political transformation.

The BJP’s communal counter-narrative—dismissing Babri Masjid commemoration as outdated grievance requiring forgetting—clashes fundamentally with Muslim community memory treating December 6, 1992, as ongoing wound.

Whether this foundation-laying catalyzes communal violence, remains symbolic gesture eventually abandoned, or becomes transformative religious-political event determining 2026 electoral outcomes remains uncertain.

What appears certain: Murshidabad’s communal fault lines remain dangerously exposed, requiring extraordinarily careful political navigation preventing sacred symbolism from transforming into tragic violence.

Call to Action (CTA)

The Babri Masjid foundation-laying ceremony in Murshidabad crystallizes India’s ongoing challenge: balancing religious liberty with communal peace maintenance. Kabir’s defiant action despite TMC suspension reveals fractures within secular coalition while raising questions regarding political parties’ genuine commitment to communal harmony versus electoral calculation.

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