Hyderabad Group Plans Babri Masjid Memorial; Row Intensifies After Bengal MLA’s Replica Announcement

Just days after a suspended Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA in West Bengal laid the foundation for a Babri Masjid-style structure, a Hyderabad-based Muslim organisation has announced plans to build a memorial dedicated to the demolished mosque along with associated welfare facilities in Greater Hyderabad.

The declaration was made by Tahreek Muslim Shabban president Mushtaq Malik during a public meeting on December 6, the 33rd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, ANI reported.

Malik said the anniversary was marked with a “routine public meeting”, during which a decision was taken to set up a Babri Masjid memorial along with welfare institutions. “We will soon announce how it will be built and by when,” he added.

The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by a mob of Hindutva activists, who claimed the mosque stood on the birthplace of Lord Ram. A Supreme Court verdict in 2019 allowed the construction of the Ram Mandir at the site, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year.

‘No one should be bothered by Babur’s name’

Addressing criticism surrounding the use of Babur’s name, Malik said the controversy was driven by “political propaganda”. ANI quoted him as saying, “No one should be bothered by the name of Babur. There was no evidence that any revenue came from Babur’s side to build the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.”

He also cited Mughal-era practices to argue that religious harmony existed among different communities.

Calling the ongoing debate divisive, Malik said, “This is done to divide the country. The brotherhood that existed between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Dalits has been shattered by this, and the seeds of hatred have been sown.”

BJP Slams Bengal MLA Over Replica Project

The Hyderabad announcement comes at a time when suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir has sparked a political storm in West Bengal by laying the foundation for a Babri Masjid-style structure in Murshidabad.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh criticised the move, alleging that the West Bengal government was enabling communal polarisation. “The same Babur who came to India aiming to wipe out the country’s culture was condemned by Guru Nanak Sahib as a tyrant… India will never accept any monument or object in his name,” Chugh said.

Kabir, however, defended his initiative, asserting his constitutional right to build a mosque. “Anyone can build a temple, anyone can build a church; I will build a mosque,” he said. He also revealed that the project, with a proposed budget of ₹300 crore, would include a hospital, guesthouse and meeting hall.