Bengal BJP chief backs relocation of airport mosque, says issue should not be communalised

Kolkata, July 13 (PTI) West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Monday backed the proposed relocation of the over 136-year-old Bankra mosque inside the Kolkata airport premises, asserting that the issue was one of infrastructure and aviation safety and should not be turned into a temple-mosque controversy. Speaking to reporters, Bhattacharya said the expansion of the runway at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport was essential to meet the city's growing aviation needs. "This is not a matter of a temple or a mosque. Even if it were a temple instead of a mosque, it could still be shifted. When visibility drops to zero, flights are unable to land at our Dum Dum Airport. Expansion is necessary," he said. Referring to concerns flagged by aviation experts, Bhattacharya said the PTC Aviation Academy had also highlighted the need for runway expansion. "We need a modern airport. Look at other states and see how many airports they have, whereas we are still left with just this one, Dum Dum Airport. This should not be turned into a temple-mosque dispute. Arrangements for shifting the structure are already being made," he added. His remarks came a day after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari defended restrictions on entry to the mosque, saying national security and the security of the strategically located Kolkata international airport must take precedence. Adhikari had said the airport's proximity to China and Bangladesh made it a critical installation and asserted that its gates could not remain open for outsiders. "We have not stopped anyone from practising their religion... National security and security of the airport will gain priority over everything else," the chief minister had said while responding to objections over the temporary suspension of congregational prayers at the mosque. The controversy erupted after airport authorities suspended 'namaz' at the Gouripur Jama Masjid, also known as the Bankra Mosque, for three days from Saturday, citing renovation work. The BJP has also argued that the mosque's location inside the high-security airport complex has operational and security implications. Dum Dum Uttar BJP MLA Sourav Sikdar had claimed that the mosque's presence affects the full operational use of the airport's two runways and allows people to enter the high-security zone for prayers without the biometric passes and background verification required for other visitors. Opposing the move, mosque committee president and former minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury had maintained that the shrine had stood at the site for more than 136 years and said access for prayers should not have been suspended while discussions with the airport authorities and the government over its future were still underway. He had also criticised the authorities for halting the issuance of entry passes and restricting access to the mosque without prior notice or consensus. PTI PNT MNB