National Desk
5 December
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
Journalist & Research Analysis
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has suspended Murshidabad MLA Hamayun Kabir after he announced plans to lay the foundation stone for a proposed Babri Masjid in Beldanga on December 6, the day the original structure was demolished in Ayodhya in 1992. His statement created major political controversy in West Bengal.
After his suspension, Kabir said he would resign as MLA and launch a new political party on December 22. He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of using “double standards” on secular politics. Kabir added that he would go ahead with the December 6 program, and if permission is denied, he will hold a protest at the same site. The Calcutta High Court is likely to hear the case soon, while Governor C. V. Ananda Bose has asked the state government to arrest Kabir.
Kabir was attending Mamata Banerjee’s rally in Behrampur when he reportedly came to know about his suspension, though he claimed he received no official letter.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of spreading communal tension before the upcoming Assembly elections. Addressing a rally in Murshidabad, she said BJP was using religion for politics and warned that NRC or detention camps would never be allowed in the state. She also claimed that more than half of those who died during the voter list verification process were Hindus, countering BJP’s narrative.