Jhansi: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday warned that any mosque constructed in the name of the Mughal emperor Babar will face strong opposition and will be swiftly dismantled.
Maurya’s remarks came after suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone for a mosque in Rejinagar, West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, modelled on Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid, on Saturday. The move has escalated political tensions in West Bengal ahead of next year’s assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters, Maurya said, “There is no issue with the construction of a mosque, but if someone builds it in the name of Babar, then we will not only oppose it, but we will also ensure it is swiftly dismantled.”
The deputy chief minister also took a sharp dig at the Samajwadi Party (SP), asserting that its president, Akhilesh Yadav, had lost his composure after the party’s humiliating defeat in the Bihar elections. Maurya indirectly referenced Akhilesh, saying, “The SP chief’s mental state has deteriorated following the party’s crushing defeat in Bihar, and he is now indulging in unrealistic dreams.”
He added that while the SP managed to secure a few seats in 2024, in the upcoming Assembly elections in 2027, the party “will not even be in a position to sit in the Opposition,” calling the SP’s future “bleak.”
Taking a swipe at the party’s symbol, Maurya remarked, “After the Bihar election results, red caps and ‘jalidari caps’ (netted caps) have disappeared from Uttar Pradesh,” claiming that the SP is “on the verge of sunset.”
During his visit to Jhansi, Maurya also participated in a review meeting regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and later travelled to Datia to visit the Pitambara Peeth temple.
With PTI inputs