People carry bricks in view of former TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's plan to lay the foundation stone for a mosque, modelled on Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid, at Rejinagar in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district,.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Murshidabad: Hundreds of people offered Friday prayers at the site of the proposed 'Babri Masjid-style' mosque in West Bengal's Murshidabad district.
Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation for the mosque at Beldanga on December 6, the day Ayodhya's Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992.
From early morning, people from surrounding villages began streaming into the fields leading to the site. As the prayer time approached, organisers used loudspeakers to guide the swelling crowds, with visuals showing long lines of worshippers walking through the fields to reach the open-air prayer ground.
Kabir, who was expelled from the TMC last week, joined the congregation amid heightened security arrangements prompted by existing tensions in the area. Police deployment was increased to prevent any untoward incident, officials said.
Organisers said preparations were made to serve food to around 1,000 people, though the turnout far exceeded that. Volunteers from neighbouring Plassey arranged a massive cooking setup, using nearly 1.5 quintals of rice to prepare khichdi for the gathering.
"We are doing this for 'sawab' (spiritual merit). We don't know how many people will come, but feeding them is a blessing," a member of the food preparation committee told reporters.
A large amount of donations has been made for the construction of the mosque modelled on Babri Masjid since Kabir laid the foundation of the structure.
Donation boxes placed at the venue were seen filling up rapidly, and organisers also displayed QR codes to receive digital contributions.
The foundation ceremony had triggered sharp political reactions.
The BJP accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of allowing "communal appeasement", while the TMC alleged that the entire episode was orchestrated with BJP's support to polarise the region ahead of next year's assembly polls.
Kabir, however, maintained that he has simply responded to people's demands.