Beldanga Tension Fears: Calcutta HC Orders Govt to Act Tough Ahead of ‘Mosque Construction’ Event

Kolkata/Behrampur: The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the West Bengal government to prevent any communal disturbance in the Beldanga area of ​​Murshidabad. The order comes at a time when suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir was preparing to organize a bhoomi-pujan (foundation stone laying ceremony) of a building named “Babri Masjid” on December 6. This date is also the anniversary of the demolition of the Ayodhya structure in 1992, due to which the administration is extra cautious.

What instructions did the court give?

Hearing a PIL filed against the program, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen said the state will have to act as per its stand. Law and order should be strictly maintained in Murshidabad, and the life and property of citizens should be protected. While disposing of the case, the court also said that it is the responsibility of the state to maintain peace and any possible tension has to be stopped in time.

What security arrangements were made in the area?

State Advocate General Kishore Dutta told the court that the government has already deployed sufficient forces so that no element can spoil the atmosphere. On behalf of the Central Government, Deputy Solicitor General Rajdeep Majumdar informed that 19 CISF companies are deployed in the area. By Friday evening, a total of 3,500 security personnel, including special teams of the RAF, had been deployed in Rejinagar and surrounding areas. Two companies of BSF have been kept on standby to protect NH-12. Meanwhile, TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, who was suspended a day earlier, was called to Rejinagar police station and interrogated for several hours.

What are the preparations for the program?

During the day, Kabir told reporters that the main program would start at noon and the Quran would be recited for two hours. He claimed that there would be neither political speeches nor party flags nor any provocative statements. He asked supporters to arrange 30,000 biryani packets and also met some factions of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and the Imam Muzzin Association. Kabir said, “This is nothing new. I will be there with 2,000 volunteers, and the event will be peaceful.”

Political reaction also intensified

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the opposition of "conspiracy" to tarnish the party's image in the state's election year.