Murshidabad: Tensionprevailed in Bengal’s communally sensitive Murshidabad on Saturday as suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir laid the foundation stone for a Babri Masjid-style mosque amid tight security.

The event was held on Saturday coinciding with the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

A recitation of the Quran was held at noon, followed by the foundation stone-laying ceremony, which Kabir claimed was attended by thousands of people, including two clerics from Saudi Arabia. Slogans of ‘Nara-e-Takbeer’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’ were raised at the venue. Visuals showed supporters of the MLA carrying bricks on their heads before the event in Beldanga, which turned into a fortress as riot police and central forces patrolled the streets to prevent any communal unrest.

Murshidabad, which has a 67% Muslim population, is a tinderbox. Just months ago, in April, around five people died, and several were injured as unrest broke out during protests against the Waqf Bill. On Saturday, the organisers deployed nearly 3,000 volunteers to prevent roadblocks and keep the national highway (NH-12) running. Seven catering agencies were contracted to prepare shahi biryani for around 40,000 guests and 20,000 residents.