The closed gate on Jessore Road that leads to the airport mosque
I believe they (Muslims) will vacate the site so that the runway extension work can proceed smoothly,” he said.
Seeking to rebut allegations that Muslims were being targeted, Adhikari said no one had been prevented from practising his or her religion, pointing out that Bakri Eid and Muharram passed peacefully. “Behave properly and abide by the law, there won’t be any problem,” he said. We would have backed the relocation even if it were a temple,” he said, stressing that the mosque needs to be removed to make room for the airport’s expansion and modernisation. An airport official said entry to the mosque would remain suspended until further orders. “Following reviews over the past two days, we have decided not to allow anyone to enter the masjid until further orders,” the official said. Former minister and Bengal Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Siddiqullah Chowdhury described the suspension of access as “unjust” and alleged that no consultation took place before the authorities announced the decision. We have no such quarrel with RSS or BJP,” he said.
Kolkata: Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari and Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya have backed the removal of a mosque located within the operational area of the Kolkata airport, which the airport authorities have already declared out of bounds to the public indefinitely. “National security and airport security must come first. The location of the airport is extremely important from a security point of view. China and Bangladesh are close by. This is an international airport. “This is not an issue of a temple or a mosque. State panchayat and rural development minister Dilip Ghosh , too, favoured the removal of the mosque, saying there is no justification for it to remain inside the runway area. “Prayers have stopped there as well. BJP’s demand, however, drew sharp reactions from Trinamool Congress and Muslim organisations. The mosque is administered by Chowdhury’s organisation. He, however, appealed for restraint, urging people not to take to the streets on the issue. “BJP workers want clashes to break out. This is not their issue.
It cannot be kept open in this manner,” Adhikari said on Sunday night. State BJP president Bhattacharya asserted on Monday that the issue should not be seen through a religious lens.