Trinamool Congress Suspends MLA Humayun Kabir Over Controversial Remarks

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling party in West Bengal, has suspended its Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Humayun Kabir, following his controversial proposal to construct a mosque named after the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad district. The decision, announced on Thursday, comes as Kabir has been at the centre of various contentious statements over the past few years, including criticisms of the party's internal dynamics.

Kabir had previously declared his intention to lay the foundation stone for the mosque in Beldanga on December 6, a plan that has now been met with disapproval from senior TMC leaders. Firhad Hakim, a prominent figure in the party and a minister in the West Bengal government, stated that Kabir's actions represented a serious breach of party discipline, particularly during a time when the TMC is focused on fostering peace and communal harmony within the state.

"Kabir has been engaging in communal politics, which is antithetical to our party’s principles. He will no longer have any affiliation with the Trinamool Congress from this moment on," Hakim asserted. The suspension was enacted following directives from the party's upper leadership. At the time of the announcement, Kabir was in Baharampur, where the Chief Minister is scheduled to address a rally later in the day.

In response to his suspension, Humayun Kabir expressed his discontent, describing the action as a calculated humiliation. He announced plans to resign from his position as an MLA and to form a new political party by December 22 in Murshidabad. "My new party will contest 135 of the 294 assembly seats in the upcoming state elections. I intend to reveal the double standards of the Chief Minister and the TMC regarding secular politics. They have deceived minority communities and maintain an unspoken alliance with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP," he claimed.

Kabir has pledged to proceed with the foundation-laying ceremony as planned, stating he would not cancel the event even if faced with administrative opposition. "If they prevent me from laying the foundation stone, I will sit on a protest and accept arrest. I have unwavering faith in the judiciary," he remarked. Kabir, who has switched political affiliations multiple times in the past, including stints with the Congress and the BJP, forecasts substantial public support for the December 6 gathering, which he anticipates could obstruct the crucial National Highway 12 that links Kolkata to Siliguri in northern West Bengal.

In a statement following Kabir's suspension, Samik Bhattacharya, President of the West Bengal BJP, referred to the decision as mere theatrics. "Kabir has a history of making provocative statements, yet the TMC has consistently failed to take meaningful action against him. Their objective seems to be the establishment of a legacy akin to that of Babur in Bengal," he alleged.