Kolkata/ Baharampur: West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended its Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir, who had triggered a storm with the proposal to build ‘Babri Masjid’ in Murshidabad district.
Kabir, who has hogged the limelight over the last few years with his controversial statements on various matters, including the party’s internal affairs, had announced that the foundation stone of the proposed mosque would be laid at Beldanga on December 6.
Announcing his suspension, senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said Kabir’s conduct amounted to gross indiscipline at a time when the party was working to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state.
Why suddenly Babri Masjid? We already warned him. As per the decision of our party, TMC, we are suspending MLA Humayun Kabir.”
Kabir’s announcement of a 6 December shilanyas — the anniversary of the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid — was seen as a politically charged move, especially in a district with a high minority population. His choice of date also clashed with the TMC’s observance of Sanghati Dibas, an anti-communal day of remembrance.
The Calcutta High Court will hear a public interest litigation on Friday concerning Kabir’s remarks, with the matter listed before the Chief Justice’s Division Bench.
Humayun Kabir on Thursday said that he will resign from the party tomorrow, and might even announce his own party on December 22.
“I will resign from TMC tomorrow. If required, I will announce a new party on December 22,” the suspended party leader told reporters here.
Defying both Raj Bhavan and the TMC leadership, Kabir reiterated on Wednesday that he would proceed with the foundation-laying ceremony in Beldanga.
He warned that any attempt to halt the event would provoke large-scale mobilisation:
“If the administration tries to stop us, the highway from Rejinagar to Beharampur will be blocked. My message is simple — don’t play with fire.”
He warned that any attempt to halt the event would provoke large-scale mobilisation:
“If the administration tries to stop us, the highway from Rejinagar to Beharampur will be blocked. My message is simple — don’t play with fire.”
Kabir insisted his programme was protected “under constitutional rights” and claimed it could draw “lakhs” of supporters. He also said 2,000 volunteers would be present to ensure “no inconvenience to any community,” adding mysteriously that there would be “a surprise” at the event.
His comments came after the Governor, CV Ananda Bose, wrote to the state government expressing concerns about possible law-and-order disturbances. Kabir called the letter “baseless”, “politically coloured” and “outside constitutional discipline”.
“He is not an elected person. Law and order is the state government’s responsibility. His fear is meaningless, his advice unnecessary,” he said.
Posters announcing the foundation stone ceremony had appeared across Beldanga earlier in the week before being torn down, adding to local tension.
The Murshidabad administration has not granted permission for the event. Officials said a law-and-order review was ongoing.
Police sources described the symbolism of the “Babri Masjid” label as “high-risk”, given that “even a peaceful ceremony can become a flashpoint depending on who tries to appropriate or oppose it.”
The TMC publicly downplayed Kabir’s plans, but internal discomfort was apparent.
State minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury said:
“Muslim issues will not be solved by calling or laying the foundation stone of a mosque after Babri Masjid. Islamic scholars will decide the name. This looks like an attempt to attract attention by stirring emotions.”
The BJP accused the ruling party of enabling Kabir’s provocation.
State BJP leader Keya Ghosh said:
“The TMC wants communal tension. They are letting him escalate the situation deliberately to serve their interests of polarisation ahead of elections.”
The CPI(M) took aim at political opportunism across parties.
Saikat Giri of the CPI(M) remarked: “One leader (Suvendu Adhikari) was in TMC till 2020, now in BJP, calling for Hindu mobilisation. Another was in BJP (Kabir) till 2019, now in the TMC, calling Muslims to unite behind him. This is Bengal’s revolving-door politics.”
Kabir’s political history is marked by frequent shifts. A former Congress leader and close aide to Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, he joined the TMC in 2012 and briefly served as Animal Resources Development Minister. He lost the Rejinagar bypoll in 2013, forcing his exit from the cabinet.
He was expelled from the TMC for six years in 2015. At the time, then Secretary-General Partha Chatterjee said:
“Humayun Kabir, who was already served a showcause, was expelled from the party for six years for continuing to make anti-party statements.”
Kabir responded: “It was inevitable as they did not like my comments. The truth is always unpalatable.”
Recently, he reignited controversy by accusing senior TMC leader Indranil Sen of extortion and alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was grooming her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, to succeed her. He had predicted “a lot of defection from the party”.
TMC leaders in Murshidabad say Kabir has long behaved like a “free agent”, ignoring repeated warnings — making this week’s suspension the culmination of years of friction.
