Baba Ramdev labelled those glorifying Mughal ruler Babar as 'traitors to India' following a foundation-laying ceremony for a Babri Masjid in West Bengal by suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir. Ramdev called Babar a 'foreign invader and robber'.
Baba Ramdev calls Babar glorifiers 'traitors'
Yoga Guru and Patanjali co-founder Baba Ramdev on Saturday said that people who try to glorify Mughal ruler Babar are "traitors to India," after suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid in West Bengal's Murshidabad. He added that Babar was a foreign invader and should not be praised.
Speaking to ANI, Baba Ramdev said, "...Bharat is not Babar's country. Bharat belongs to Maharana Pratap, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chadrashekhar, Rajguru, Bhagat Singh, Ram-Krishna, Sanatana and Shiv. Babar was a foreign invader and robber. The people who want to glorify his name are traitors to India. Such people will never succeed in their goals. We are not against Islam and Muslims. Babar neither followed Islam nor was he a Muslim. He was just a cruel invader. He should not be glorified... December 6 is the day to remove the signs of slavery... The people of India are awakened now. They will not let a foreign invader be glorified..."
TMC MLA defends mosque construction
Earlier today, 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".
Addressing the gathering, 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."
Kabir asserted that legal challenges would not deter the mosque's construction. "Five cases have been filed against me, but no one can stop someone with whom Allah is. The court has also clearly stated that it is written in the Constitution of India that one can build a mosque; it is a right," he said.
He referred to the demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, calling it a historically controversial site. "There are four crore Muslims in Bengal. Don't they have the right to build the Babri Masjid? Threats have been made against me, including by the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. If anyone has the courage, let them come here to Murshidabad and show it," he said.
Kabir added that a 300-crore budget has been allocated for the mosque, which will also include a hospital, guesthouse, and meeting hall. He reiterated his commitment to the project and said, "It is a promise of the Muslims: The Babri Masjid will be built, it will be built, it will be built."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
