New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The suspension of prayers at the Bankra mosque at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport for the past few days by the authorities has snowballed into a major controversy, leading to a war of words between the ruling party and the Opposition.

The authorities, while stopping entry passes for congregational prayers at the mosque, cited heightened security concerns as the reason, but the matter took a political turn, with questions raised over access and religious rights.

A string of BJP leaders, from Bengal ministers to the state party chief, backed the move to curb prayers at the mosque, stating that shifting the religious structure was essential for airport expansion and security. Opposition parties, however, called this an infringement of the religious rights of minorities, accusing the new BJP govt of ‘religious interference’.

Notably, the 136-year-old mosque is situated near the airport, about 165 metres from the main runway. It has long been identified as a potential concern for airport operations and emergency responses.

TMC MP Saugata Roy, speaking to IANS, said there had never been an issue for five decades, but the new BJP govt was using it to further its ‘political agenda’.

Taking exception to the removal of Bankra mosque, he said, “I am against it. The local people do not want the mosque to be removed. I have always said that if the local Muslim community disagrees, then a decision regarding the mosque can be taken. It should not be done forcibly, as it concerns people’s religious faith. That is why the mosque has not been removed for the last 50 years. The issue of removing it has come up only after the BJP came to power.”

CPI (M) leader Hannan Mollah echoed similar sentiments and said that security concerns must be addressed without restricting access to religious sites.

Many BJP leaders supported the move, saying security considerations must take precedence over all other issues.

Earlier, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari justified the move, saying that national security and the airport’s security will take priority over everything else.

“We have not stopped anyone from practising their religion, unlike what they said about us. Bakrid (Eid al-Adha) was observed adhering to animal slaughter laws, Muharram was observed without brandishing weapons, and there was no problem. Obey the law and act as good citizens,” the Chief Minister said on Sunday.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar also backed CM Adhikari, saying, “It is a long-pending issue. When I used to study in college, and the Left Front government was in power, that time I had read in the newspaper that due to a mosque, the landing area, that is, in the airport where the plane lands, it cannot be increased for a new runway.”

Riju Dutta, the suspended TMC leader, also supported the shifting of the mosque from the high-security zone.

“The mosque inside Kolkata Airport is 130 years old. But the issue now is one of national security. It is located near the runway, and no runway extension is taking place there. One must understand that Kolkata Airport is an international airport located near the borders of Bangladesh and China. The country’s Prime Minister, Home Minister, and other VIPs travel through this airport. Therefore, there is a security concern here. That is why the central government, state government, and the Airport Authority have decided to relocate the mosque,” he stated.

–IANS

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