Calcutta High Court on Friday declined to interfere in a public interest litigation (PIL), which sought an order restraining suspended Trinamul Congress MLA Humayun Kabir from proceeding further on his plan to lay the foundation stone of a Babri Masjid at Beledanga in Murshidabad on Saturday.
Moving the petition, senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya said the move by the MLA from Bharatpur in Murshidabad might disturb the state's communal harmony.
The MLA has decided to choose December 6 for the foundation stone-laying ceremony as the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh had been razed to the ground by kar sevaks on the same date in 1992.
Arguing for the petitioner, Bhattacharyya on Friday demanded that the court ask the state to promise that communal harmony would not be disturbed and take necessary arrangements to maintain peace in the area.
The division bench of acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen wanted to hear the Union government on the issue. Appearing for the Union government, the additional solicitor general pointed out that Murshidabad had recently witnessed communal disturbances, and central forces had to be deployed to maintain normalcy.
After hearing all sides, the bench observed that it could not interfere with the issue or prevent any person from constructing any place of worship. But at the same time, the court held that the state should take preventive measures and make arrangements to avoid any untoward incident.
The bench also asked the Union government to cooperate with the state to maintain normality.
Reacting to the high court’s order that described his initiative as a “constitutional right,” Kabir accused the state government of playing an indirect role in the case filed against his programme.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Kabir said: “The high court rightly observed that laying the foundation stone of the Babri Masjid is our constitutional right. I respect this order. We have respect for the judicial system. The state government did not file this case, but I have information that it was behind the case.”
Kabir added that “tomorrow (Saturday), 40km stretch of NH12 from Plassey to Behrampore will be in the possession of the common people who will walk to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony”.
Suspended from the party, Kabir returned to his home at Rejinagar on Thursday afternoon. On Friday, he visited Chetiani village in Beldanga block, where the foundation stone for the proposed Babri Masjid will be laid. The proposed mosque is set to be built on the ground of a private school in Chetiani, which is located adjacent to NH12.
However, because of the shortage of space, a stage for the public meeting has been built in the nearby Moradighi village. A large-scale event has been organised in the area, with arrangements for catering on Saturday. Seven catering companies from Murshidabad have been assigned to prepare food, including biryani, for about 40,000 guests. Later in the afternoon, Kabir went to Moradighi to supervise the preparations.
To maintain law and order, a sizeable police deployment has been made in the region. A paramilitary contingent is currently conducting route marches at Moradighi, while the BSF is patrolling areas adjacent to NH12. State police personnel are also carrying out regular patrols along the highway.
Kabir said the main programme would begin at 12 noon on Saturday, while preliminary activities would start two hours earlier. Religious leaders from across the state and several other parts of India are expected to attend the foundation-laying ceremony. About 2,000 volunteers began work on Friday to ensure smooth operations.
Police sources said forces were mobilised in both Nadia and Murshidabad districts, with units of the State Armed Police on standby. Reinforcements will be brought to Beldanga and Rejinagar overnight.
Beldanga subdivisional police officer Uttam Garai said: “No new central force has been deployed so far... Police from Beldanga and Rejinagar police stations are patrolling the roads. The entire situation is completely normal and under control. There is no tension in the area now.”