The Calcutta High Court on Friday declined to halt the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a mosque in Murshidabad, West Bengal. The proposed mosque is said to be modeled after the Babri Masjid, which was demolished in Ayodhya in 1992. The ceremony, scheduled for December 6, was initiated by suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir for the Beldanga area.

The TMC had suspended Kabir on December 4 following his remarks about the 'Babri-style' mosque and formally distanced the party from the event.

A petition was subsequently filed before the High Court by Dr. Abdus Salam Shaikh, seeking to stop the ceremony over concerns it could disrupt communal harmony. However, a Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen dismissed the plea.

The Court observed that the petitioner's primary concern related to law-and-order management. During the hearing, Advocate General Kishore Datta assured the Bench that the district administration was fully alert and committed to maintaining strict public order.

Recording this submission, the Court disposed of the petition, stating: "The State must act as per its stand and the law and order situation shall be maintained in Murshidabad strictly and the lives and properties of the citizens will be protected."

The petitioner had previously alerted the Superintendent of Police on November 30, warning of potential unrest. His counsel argued that preventive measures were necessary. The Central government's counsel informed the Court that 19 companies of central armed forces were already deployed in Murshidabad pursuant to earlier High Court directives.Satisfied with these assurances, the Bench saw no grounds for further judicial intervention and closed the case.