In a dramatic escalation of political tensions in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday suspended its legislator, Humayun Kabir, for his controversial plan to lay the foundation stone of a mosque in Murshidabad on December 6. The date coincides with the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, drawing sharp criticism from the party leadership for potential communal provocation.
Defiance and Retaliation from the Suspended MLA
An unrepentant Humayun Kabir, the MLA from Bhagabangola, immediately retaliated against his suspension. He declared his intention to resign from the legislative assembly and announced the launch of his own political party on December 22. Kabir remained adamant that the foundation-laying ceremony in Beldanga would proceed as scheduled on Saturday, December 6, even if it led to his arrest or death.
"Preparations are underway. Quran recitation will be held for two hours from noon, followed by the ceremony," Kabir stated. He claimed he was "deliberately humiliated" and a victim of conspiracy, asserting he had not yet received any official suspension letter but would resign "on Friday or Monday."
Issuing a stark warning, Kabir said, "Lakhs of people will attend. If the administration stops us, NH-12 may be blocked." He added that he might be "killed to silence him," but expressed full faith in the judiciary, vowing to sit on a dharna and court arrest if prevented.
TMC Leadership Condemns Communal Politics
The suspension came after severe condemnation from top TMC leaders. A day prior, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, without naming Kabir, labeled him a "Mirzafar-gaddar (traitor)," accusing him of accepting money from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to foment communal tensions ahead of next year's assembly elections.
Senior minister Firhad Hakim, who is also a mutawalli (trustee) of a Kolkata mosque, emphasized the party's firm stance. "Kabir has been indulging in communal politics. Anyone can build a mosque, but there must be no communal provocation," Hakim stated, underscoring the ruling party's discomfort with the MLA's rhetoric.
A senior TMC leader described Kabir as a "loose cannon" whose mosque plan was the "tipping point," making disciplinary action inevitable. The leader noted that Kabir had repeatedly embarrassed the party and ignored warnings.
Political Ripples and Legal Concerns
The controversy has significantly heightened the political temperature in Murshidabad, a district already simmering due to earlier unrest over the Waqf Amendment Act. Governor C V Ananda Bose has intervened, writing to the state government seeking Kabir's "preventive arrest" over concerns of possible law-and-order disruption.
Officials confirmed that no permission had been granted for the proposed December 6 program. Political observers suggest the TMC's swift action aims to consolidate control before the polls and neutralize an internal challenge linked to a sensitive communal date.
Kabir, a serial defector who has moved between the Congress, TMC, and BJP, is no stranger to controversy. He was expelled from the TMC in 2015 after criticizing Banerjee and alleging she wanted to make her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, the "king."
The BJP, meanwhile, dismissed the suspension as "drama." State president Samik Bhattacharya alleged the TMC wanted to "establish Babur’s rule" in Bengal. As the standoff continues, Humayun Kabir shows no signs of backing down, setting the stage for a fresh political confrontation in the state.
