Mediaeye News
Kolkata: Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, around Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, banning gatherings of four or more people. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel have been deployed to enforce the restrictions.
The actions have been taken following the announcement by former West Bengal Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury of holding mass prayers later in the day today at the Bankra Mosque within the airport premises.
The process for the relocation of the 136-year-old mosque had started last week on national security grounds.
Although the relocation process had started after years of negotiations, some minority organisations and those linked to the Trinamool Congress, the previous ruling party in the state, have started protesting over the relocation process.
Chowdhury, who is the leading face of such a protest, had given a call for mass prayers at the original venue of the mosque on Friday afternoon, ignoring the administration’s order barring entry to the mosque through entry-passes and offering prayers there.
Amid Chowdhury’s call for mass prayers, the Bidhannagar City Police, under whose jurisdiction the airport comes, had issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023 around the airport premises.
A huge deployment of security personnel including CAPF, cops from the Bidhannagar City Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) had been deployed in the area to prevent any tension or violence over the call for mass prayers.
Special patrolling is also underway at Gate No. 7 of the airport, which was the earlier entry point to the mosque and the surrounding areas.
Police are constantly making announcements on microphones asking people not to violate the prohibitory orders and assemble in the area in large numbers. The administration is also keeping an eye on the situation to ensure that there is no impact on airport passengers.
The 136-year-old Gauripur Jama Masjid is known as the ‘Bankra Masjid’. The mosque is located within the airport. There has been talk of relocating the mosque for a long time. The airport has two runways – the main runway is used for take-offs and landings, while the second runway is smaller. The mosque is located at a short distance from that second runway.
Experts say that if the first runway is temporarily closed for maintenance, there will be problems with large aircraft taking off and landing.
Airport officials said that the mosque also poses a risk to aircraft taking off and landing and that work on expanding the second runway has also been stalled.
There have been discussions about moving the mosque for several decades, but no firm decision has been reached on the issue so far.
After the change of regime in West Bengal, initiatives were started by the Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP government in the state for relocating the mosque from inside the airport.
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–IANS
