Now Reading: Suvendu Adhikari bars Babar’s name from Bengal mosque project
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Suvendu Adhikari bars Babar’s name from Bengal mosque project
The Story in Brief
West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed the district magistrate of Murshidabad to deny permission for any facility named after Mughal emperor Babar, prompting Nowda MLA Humayun Kabir to reverse his stance on naming his under-construction mosque after Babar. The directive came on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, during an administrative review meeting, amid tensions after Kabir had threatened to blockade NH-34 on 6 December.
Speaking at Nabanna, Adhikari said Babar 'did not belong to India' and called him a 'Lootera', adding that construction on private land is permitted but not under Babar's name. Kabir initially defied the warning but said on Thursday, 5 November 2026, that he would respect the chief minister's decision. He added that the mosque trust will meet on 6 December to decide on renaming, with alternative names such as Kazi Nazrul Islam or APJ Abdul Kalam suggested earlier by Adhikari.
BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh dismissed Kabir's reversal as 'erratic behaviour' and said there would be 'no Babri Masjid at all'. Kabir had previously declared he would move to Dubai after his son lost a bypoll.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Times of India and Deccan Chronicle both report the core event identically: Chief Minister Adhikari banned the use of Babar's name and Kabir backed down. Deccan Chronicle leads with the 'Lootera' quote, framing the ban as a direct confrontation with an 'invader' label, while Times of India contextualises the episode with Kabir's earlier highway blockade threat and his son's electoral defeat, framing it as a political climbdown. Both outlets quote Kabir's agreement to a trust meeting on 6 December to decide on renaming, leaving the final name unresolved until that date.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), deccanchronicle.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
