Kolkata: Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir on Sunday said he will organise a Quran recital by one lakh people in February, a day after laying the foundation stone for a mosque inspired by the Babri Masjid design in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. Kabir said the event will conclude with a feast of meat and rice for all participants.
Speaking to reporters at Rejinagar, Kabir said the construction of the Babri Masjid–modelled structure will begin after the mass Quran recitation. His announcement comes at a politically sensitive time, as West Bengal prepares for assembly elections next year.
The foundation stone for the mosque was laid on December 6, the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. The timing has added to the charged political atmosphere in the state, where religion and identity remain deeply contested issues.
Meanwhile, in Kolkata, the Sanatan Sanskriti Sansad — a collective of monks and spiritual leaders from various Hindu religious institutions — organised a massive Bhagavad Gita chanting programme titled ‘Panch Lakkho Konthe Gita Path’, bringing together an estimated five lakh voices at the Brigade Parade Ground.
The parallel events, both involving large religious gatherings, underline the heightened communal tensions and political stakes in West Bengal as the election season approaches.
