West Bengal is bracing for a tense Saturday as suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir moves ahead with the foundation-laying ceremony for what he has repeatedly described as a “Babri Masjid-style” mosque in Murshidabad.
The timing and the symbolism have pushed the administration into its highest alert in weeks, on a day historically marked by political contestation.
The Beldanga site, where Kabir has claimed “three lakh people” would gather, has been cordoned off with layers of security.
RAF companies, district police units and central forces have taken positions along both sides of National Highway 12 after the Calcutta High Court declined to stall the event and placed full responsibility for public order on the state government.
Kabir’s description of the proposed mosque has sharpened unease in a district where religious imagery often fuels mobilisation.
For the TMC, which suspended him on Thursday, the optics of such an event on December 6 carry risks the party has tried to distance itself from.
The run-up to the ceremony has led to a sweeping security plan. RAF teams reached Rejinagar on Friday and were stationed at a local school.
District police, acting on the court’s directive, drew up a grid covering Beldanga, Raninagar, and the approach roads to NH-12, the state’s lone north–south corridor.
A senior officer said close to 3,000 personnel would be deployed through the day, with diversion plans ready if turnout disrupts the highway.
On Friday, after the court declined to halt the event, police initiated backchannel conversations with Kabir’s team.
Governor C. V. Ananda Bose urged citizens not to be influenced by “provocative statements and rumours” and asked the state to ensure “no disturbance anywhere”.
For Kabir, once with Congress, then BJP, and later TMC, the ceremony has become a public demonstration of strength and defiance. His suspension for what the party termed “communal politics” has given the event an added political edge.
He has announced that he will resign as MLA and launch his own outfit later this month. On Friday, he was seen supervising the stage and food arrangements. Political reactions and administrative scrutiny did not appear to affect him.
The scale of preparations has turned the site into something close to a public fair. A 150-ft-long, 80-ft-wide dais has been erected over paddy fields off the highway, with seating for around 400 guests.
Organisers claim two clerics from Saudi Arabia will arrive in a special convoy from Kolkata airport.
Nearly 3,000 volunteers, 2,000 of them beginning work on Friday, have been assigned to control access roads, prevent bottlenecks and keep the highway running.
Seven catering agencies from Murshidabad have been engaged to prepare shahi biryani, with an estimated 40,000 packets for attendees and another 20,000 for local residents.
A close aide estimated food expenses at over Rs 30 lakh, with the total cost of the venue approaching Rs 70 lakh.
According to the schedule circulated, Quran recitation is set for 10 am, the foundation event at noon, a community meal at 2 pm, and dispersal by 4 pm as instructed by police.
Across the state, the ruling party will observe ‘Samhati Diwas’ (Unity Day) with rallies promoting communal harmony. The government has declared a holiday, presenting a message of restraint.
The Left Front will observe the day as “Black Day”, marking the demolition’s anniversary and underscoring its continued political weight.
