Baharampur: Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a mosque designed in the style of Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid at Rejinagar in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, amid heightened security arrangements.
Kabir inaugurated the ceremony by cutting a ribbon, joined by several clerics on stage, as crowds chanted “Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar”. Thousands of people had gathered at the venue from early morning to witness the event.
The programme took place under heavy security cover, with large deployments of police, the Rapid Action Force (RAF), and central forces across Rejinagar and the neighbouring Beldanga area to maintain law and order.
Kabir was suspended from the TMC earlier this week on allegations of indulging in communal politics. He had publicly announced the foundation-laying ceremony earlier this month, drawing political criticism and prompting the administration to tighten security.
For the foundation-laying ceremony, Kabir chose December 6, which marks the anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
With PTI inputs