Kolkata Airport Mosque Relocation Over Security Concerns & Runway Expansion Plans Spark Protests
The controversy surrounding a 136-year-old mosque located inside the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport premises in Kolkata has escalated into a major political issue
The controversy surrounding a 136-year-old mosque located inside the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport premises in Kolkata has escalated into a major political issue. The Airport Authority of India and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security have proposed relocating the structure, citing severe security hazards and operational disruptions. The mosque's proximity to the secondary runway restricts its usable length to 2,832 meters, forcing the touchdown point to be shifted by 88 meters and limiting wide-body aircraft operations.
Public access for Juma Namaz has been suspended, prompting protests by Muslim groups who were denied entry. Demonstrators wearing black armbands gathered at the site, while the protests also spilled over to Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Bharatiya Janata Party has attributed the historical reluctance to relocate the mosque to appeasement politics by previous state governments. Authorities have deployed Central Armed Police Forces and Bengal Police personnel, enforcing prohibitory orders to maintain law and order as debates over national security, infrastructure development, and religious access continue.
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