Babri Masjid Row: BJP Leader Conducts Bhumi Puja For Murshidabad Ram Temple

In the backdrop of the laying of the foundation stone of Babri Masjid by suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir in Murshidabad, BJP leader Sakharov Sarkar and his party wing on Saturday did Bhumi Puja (Groundbreaking ceremony) and Shila Pratishtha (Consecration of idol) for the establishment of a replica of Ayodhya's Ram 'Lala' Temple.

BJP leader of Murshidabad, Sakharov Sarkar, said, " I already said on December 6, we will perform all the rituals for the establishment of the Ram temple. In Behrampore, we have decided to establish a replica of Ayodhya's Ram Lala temple, and through the creation of the Ram Mandir charitable trust, we conducted the Shila Pratishtha today. This temple in Berhampore will be very huge and will also include a hospital and a school."

Meanwhile, suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone for the construction of Babri Masjid in Murshidabad.

He drew attention to the constitutional right to build places of worship and said that he is not doing anything unconstitutional, "as anyone can make a temple or church, so can I".

Clause (a) of Article 26 in the Indian Constitution grants every religious denomination the fundamental right "to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes". This is subject to public order, morality and health.

Addressing the gathering in Murshidabad, Kabir said, "I am not doing anything unconstitutional. Anyone can build a temple, anyone can build a church; I will build a mosque. It is being said that we cannot build the Babri Masjid. It is not written anywhere. The Supreme Court gave a judgment which stated that the Hindu people had demolished the Babri Masjid. Considering the sentiments of Hindus, the decision was taken to build a temple here. Now we see someone laying the foundation stone for a Ram Temple in Sagardighi. But the Constitution allows us to build a mosque."

After TMC suspended him, Kabir said that he might announce his own party on December 22.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)