A poster of Babri Masjid is displayed at the site where foundation stone is being laid./ANI Photo
Hundreds of people offered Friday prayers at the site of the proposed 'Babri Masjid-style' mosque in West Bengal's Murshidabad district.
Suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation for the mosque at Beldanga on December 6, the day Ayodhya's Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992.
From early morning, people from surrounding villages began streaming into the fields leading to the site.
As the prayer time approached, organisers used loudspeakers to guide the swelling crowds, with visuals showing long lines of worshippers walking through the fields to reach the open-air prayer ground.
Kabir, who was expelled from the TMC last week, joined the congregation amid heightened security arrangements prompted by existing tensions in the area.
Police deployment was increased to prevent any untoward incident, officials said.
Organisers said preparations were made to serve food to around 1,000 people, though the turnout far exceeded that.
Volunteers from neighbouring Plassey arranged a massive cooking setup, using nearly 1.5 quintals of rice to prepare khichdi for the gathering.
"We are doing this for 'sawab' (spiritual merit). We don't know how many people will come, but feeding them is a blessing," a member of the food preparation committee told reporters.
A large amount of donations has been made for the construction of the mosque modelled on Babri Masjid since Kabir laid the foundation of the structure. -- PTI
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