On 7th December, suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir announced that he will forge an alliance with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal. This comes after Kabir said that he would form a separate party on 22nd December following his suspension. The Debra MLA said that the alliance is aimed at stopping the BJP and the TMC in West Bengal, which has a considerable Muslim population.
Humayun Kabir’s remarks came after he laid the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid-style mosque in Beldanga of the Murshidabad district on 6th December, coinciding with the anniversary of the demolition of the disputed structure, also known as Babri Masjid. The Trinamool Congress had suspended Murshidabad MLA on Thursday (4th December) over his announcement that he would be building a replica of the disputed structure. The party accused Kabir of communalising the issue to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), adding that the MLA was warned multiple times in the past. TMC distanced itself from the controversy and celebrated Samhati Diwas (Unity Day) on 6th December to promote communal harmony across the state. This is not the first time that he has been suspended from the party; he was suspended for 6 years in 2015.
A day after laying the foundation of the Babri Masjid replica, Kabir claimed that around 8 lakh people attended the ceremony without the assistance of the local police. He added that Muslims in the country have a lot of money and that they would contribute to the construction of the mosque. Speaking about his upcoming political party, Kabir said that his party would work for Muslims. He said that he would field candidates in 135 constituencies in the upcoming assembly elections. “I will form a new party that will work for Muslims. I will be a major game-changer in the Bengal elections. I am in contact with AIMIM and will contest the elections in alliance with them. I have spoken to Owaisi,” Kabir told the media.
A petition seeking a stay on the Babri Masjid foundation stone laying ceremony was filed in the Calcutta High Court. But the High Court refused to intervene in the matter and directed the state government to take all necessary steps to prevent any law-and-order situation.