TMC suspends MLA for planning Babri Mosque replica

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has finally suspended maverick yet, powerful party legislator and former minister from Murshidabad Humayun Kabir for trying to “communalise” the political situation by announcing his plans to construct a Babri Mosque in his district and later in all the districts of the State.

Announcing the decision, senior party leader Firhad Hakim on Thursday said that despite being cautioned against making communal remarks, Kabir chose to remain indifferent to the party line, leading to his suspension.

“We cautioned him twice and asked him to refrain from communally sensitive remarks but he still refused to mend his ways that is why we have taken the decision to suspend him the party will have no relation with him hence forward,” Hakim who besides being the Mayor of Kolkata and a senior member of Mamata Banerjee Cabinet as well as the TMC’s Muslim face said.

Kabir, a former Congress leader, was initially mentored by the then Behrampore MP Adhir Chowdhury before the both parted ways and the former joined the TMC.

Considered a leader with considerable following is an MLA from Bharatpur constituency of Murshidabad district.

“The party leadership noticed that an MLA from Murshidabad had been making unnecessary, irresponsible and communal remarks he was cautioned thrice but he would not listen then he suddenly declared that he would construct a Babri Masjid in his district which was apparently an attempt to communalise the local politics as he refused to mend his ways the party has decided to suspend him and will have no relation with him and will not be responsible for his remarks,” Hakim also considered primarily a leader of the State’s Urdu-speaking Muslims said.

Kabir had declared that the foundation stone for the proposed mosque would be laid at Beldanga on December 6. The suspended leader is also credited with a statement made in the run-up to the 2024 parliamentary elections when he threatened to cut 30 percent of the population of his district and throw them in the River Bhagirathi (Ganges), triggering massive repercussions from the State BJP. Around 67 percent population of Murshidabad is Muslim and the rest are Hindus.

When asked for his response, Kabir said he would submit his resignation and launch a new political outfit. “I had told earlier that I would soon announce my formal decision to float a new political party and will field candidates in all the districts. I don’t believe in blank fires. I am saying this with enough confidence that the Muslim people of Bengal are disgusted with the TMC and its leadership, they do not want to be exploited anymore...My will be a truly secular party evenly represented by all the communities now, we will show what we can do,” Kabir, who is likely to lay the foundation stone of his proposed Babri Mosque on December 6, said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that there were some leaders who were in the payroll of the BJP and were trying to harm the secular ambience of the State. Though she would not name anyone, she said, “We will not tolerate communalisation of politics by anyone or members of any community. These people are being paid by the BJP to communally divide the voters” to make way for the saffron party.