West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday clarified the state government’s stance on the controversy over suspension of entry permits for congregational prayers at a mosque inside Kolkata airport, saying national security takes precedence over everything else.
Adhikari stressed that the doors of the geopolitically important facility could not remain open to outsiders, according to news agency PTI.
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“National security and airport security will take priority over everything else. As Prime Minister, I will not comment further. The location of Kolkata International Airport is crucial given the proximity of both China and Bangladesh. Its doors cannot remain open to outsiders,” Adhikari said.
The Prime Minister added that his government does not restrict religious practices, rejecting the opposition’s claims.
He added, “We did not prevent anyone from practicing their religious rituals, contrary to what they (the opposition) said about us. Eid al-Adha was celebrated according to the laws of slaughter, and Muharram was celebrated without waving weapons, and there was no problem. Obey the law and act like good citizens. Practice your religion as a personal matter without trying to influence others, and then things will go smoothly.”
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“We do not believe in the politics of appeasement”: Sukanta Majumdar
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said the relocation of the mosque would address concerns related to airport expansion and security. He also claimed that previous governments avoided taking any action due to “appeasement policies.”
“Since I was a student, I used to read in newspapers that because there is a mosque at Kolkata airport, the runway cannot be expanded. No previous government had intervened due to appeasement policies. Now that our government is in power, we do not believe in appeasement policies. The mosque will be shifted to another place,” ANI quoted him as saying.
TMC criticizes
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sujata Roy opposed the indefinite suspension of entry and the proposed relocation of Bankra Mosque.
“Something needs to be done about the mosque with the approval of the Muslim community there,” Roy told ANI.
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Political confrontation
These statements came after the state government decided on Saturday to move the Bankra Mosque, citing security concerns. Meanwhile, prayers at Gauripur Jama Masjid, also known as Bankra Masjid, located inside the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, have been suspended for three days from Saturday to facilitate renovation works, airport authorities said.
The mosque, which is believed to be more than 130 years old and older than the airport itself, is located about 165 meters from the airport’s secondary runway.
Aviation authorities have reportedly confirmed that the location of the mosque is affecting flight operations, restricting runway expansion and delaying the installation of advanced landing systems (ILS).
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
