A dispute over the suspension of congregational prayers at the Bankra mosque, located near Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, has escalated into a sharp political confrontation between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Airport authorities halted entry passes for prayers at the mosque, citing heightened security concerns, but the move has drawn fierce criticism from opposition parties who call it an infringement of minority religious rights.

The Mosque and Its Location

The Bankra mosque is approximately 136 years old and sits roughly 165 metres from the airport's main runway. Officials and BJP leaders have long flagged its proximity to the airstrip as a concern for both airport expansion plans and emergency response operations. Suspended TMC leader Riju Dutta noted that Kolkata Airport is an international facility situated near the borders of Bangladesh and China, and serves senior national leaders including the Prime Minister and Home Minister.

What the Government Said

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari defended the decision on Sunday, stating that national security and airport security would take precedence. '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,' he said.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar backed the Chief Minister, describing it as 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,' he said.

Riju Dutta, the suspended TMC leader who sided with the BJP on this issue, argued that the central government, state government, and the Airport Authority had collectively decided to relocate the mosque on security grounds.

Opposition Pushback

TMC MP Saugata Roy said there had been no issue for five decades and accused the new BJP government of exploiting the matter to advance a political agenda. '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,' he said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Hannan Mollah echoed similar concerns, arguing that security issues must be addressed without curtailing access to places of worship.

Why This Matters

The row touches on the intersection of infrastructure development, national security, and minority religious rights — a politically charged combination in West Bengal, where communal sensitivities have historically shaped electoral outcomes. This is not the first time the mosque's proximity to the runway has been raised; according to reports, the question of relocation has surfaced periodically over the decades but was never acted upon until the BJP assumed power in the state. The controversy is likely to intensify as both sides frame it through competing lenses of security imperatives and constitutional freedoms.

All eyes are now on whether the Airport Authority of India issues a formal directive, and whether the matter reaches the courts — a step opposition leaders have not yet ruled out.