Kolkata airport mosque shift push sparks early test for Bengal’s BJP govt

Moves by West Bengal's new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to relocate a 136-year-old mosque near Kolkata airport’s secondary runway have triggered opposition from an influential Muslim organisation, opening a politically sensitive confrontation for Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

The dispute centres on the Gouripur Jame Masjid, also known as the Bankra Mosque, near the northern end of the secondary runway at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

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The issue resurfaced this month following meetings between airport officials, district authorities, security agencies and mosque representatives regarding the structure's possible relocation. Officials claim that the structure affects runway operations and expansion plans.

Muslim leaders not amused

Muslim leaders opposed any attempt to forcibly shift the mosque, saying the structure existed long before the airport expanded around it and remained legally registered in the mosque’s name.

What remained for years an aviation and infrastructure dispute has now acquired sharper political overtones under Bengal’s saffron government, which took over on May 9.

The BJP defended the move as necessary for aviation safety and infrastructure development. Local BJP MLA Sourav Sikdar said the issue should not be viewed through a religious lens.

More so as the issue comes amid growing unease among sections of Bengal’s Muslims over migration crackdowns, citizenship scrutiny exercises and tighter cattle slaughter regulations following the BJP’s rise to power in the state.

Airport authorities have argued for years that the mosque’s location restricts full use of the secondary runway, especially during low-visibility conditions in winter.

Officials have said the runway threshold had to be shifted because of the mosque’s proximity, reducing the effective landing distance for aircraft.

The Union government told Parliament last year that the structure also affected the installation of navigation systems needed for improved fog operations.

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Officials said relocating the mosque could extend the runway's operational life as Kolkata airport expands to handle rising passenger traffic.

What Left, TMC govts did?

Despite repeated discussions over the years, neither the Left Front government (1977-2011) nor the Trinamool Congress government (2011-2026) aggressively pursued the issue because of its political sensitivity.

Now, with the BJP governing both in New Delhi and Kolkata, the issue appears to have gained fresh momentum.

The matter was recently discussed at an Airport Security Committee meeting attended by district officials and security agencies.

Administrative officials later held talks with mosque authorities and local Muslim leaders.

An airport official familiar with the discussions said authorities were trying to avoid any abrupt move because of the sensitivity surrounding the issue.

“The objective is to resolve a long-pending operational problem through discussions and consensus,” the official said on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to speak to the media.

The official said expansion plans and installation of low-visibility landing systems remained linked to resolving runway constraints caused by the mosque’s location.

Siddiqullah Chowdhury, senior Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind leader and former state minister, said the mosque could not simply be removed through administrative orders.

“The mosque existed before the airport expansion. The surrounding land was acquired later, but the mosque land still remains in its own name,” he told The Federal.

He said any decision on relocation would require consultations with larger Muslim bodies, including Darul Uloom Deoband and the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board.

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“We are not looking for confrontation. But such matters cannot be decided unilaterally,” he said.

Members of the mosque committee also reportedly conveyed in the meeting that local caretakers lacked the authority to independently approve the relocation of a religious structure with more than a century of history.

BJP defends move

The BJP defended the move as necessary for aviation safety and infrastructure development.

Local BJP legislator Sourav Sikdar said the issue should not be viewed through a religious lens.

“This is linked to airport expansion and national infrastructure. Development projects cannot remain stalled indefinitely,” he told the media.

BJP leaders also accused previous governments of avoiding the issue for political reasons.

Opposition questions timing

Opposition parties say the timing of the renewed push around the mosque could deepen anxieties among minorities in the state.

The Congress said the controversy raised questions about the BJP government’s political priorities in its opening weeks in office.

State Congress president Subhankar Sarkar questioned both the timing of the move and the urgency with which the government revived the issue.

“The new government should have begun with constructive decisions like reducing VAT and excise on fuel to fulfil its electoral promise of bringing petrol and diesel prices closer to neighbouring states,” he said over the phone.

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“People also expect concrete steps for job creation and economic relief. Instead, contentious issues are being pushed to the forefront,” Sarkar added.

He said any decision involving a socially sensitive religious issue should emerge through wider consultations with the affected community and all political parties.

“The final decision must follow both the norms and the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.

Whether the BJP government handles the sensitive issue through consensus or confrontation may become clearer once relocation talks resume after Eid-ul-Zuha. Authorities had put discussions on hold during the festival period to avoid tensions.

For now, the administration has avoided setting any timeline for relocation. But the issue has already emerged as one of the first politically sensitive disputes confronting the state’s new BJP government.