'Doing such things for political gain ahead of polls': BJP attacks Trinamool as MLA Zakir Hussain announces Krishna temple

New Delhi, Dec 22 The BJP on Monday accused the Trinamool Congress of playing politics over religious matters ahead of the Assembly elections, which are slated for next year.

The reaction comes following Trinamool MLA Zakir Hussain's announcement of constructing a Shri Krishna temple at an estimated cost of Rs one crore. Earlier, Trinamool's another MLA, who has been suspended, announced and then went ahead with the construction of a Babri mosque, said to be a replica of the mosque in Ayodhya demolished in 1992.

BJP leader Gourav Vallabh told IANS that the timing of such statements exposes the Trinamool Congress’ strategy of playing politics with faith.

“First, one Trinamool Congress leader announced that he would build a Babri Masjid, and he was removed after that. Now another leader says he will build a Shri Krishna temple. Tomorrow, someone else may come and say they will build a church. Why do they suddenly remember temples and mosques just two months before elections? This clearly shows that Trinamool Congress wants to politicise religion to gain electoral benefit," Vallabh said.

Vallabh further alleged that the ruling party had failed to address real issues over the past several years.

“For the last four years, they did nothing for the people. Instead, they stood with rapists and ignored justice. Now, suddenly, before elections, they are talking about building temples and mosques. What were they doing earlier? Such statements only hurt religious sentiments and divide society,” he added.

BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra also criticised the move, questioning the intent behind raising religious issues at this juncture.

“Why talk about temples now, and which temples will they build? Anyone who truly wants to build a temple can do so independently. But in West Bengal, politics has now been twisted around temples and mosques because election time has arrived. This is a deliberate strategy to polarise voters. They believe that merely talking about temples will automatically fetch Hindu votes," he told IANS.

BJP leader Raj Purohit also reacted and said, “Where can a temple be built with just one crore? One crore isn’t even enough to install a deity. The Ram temple in Ayodhya was built at a cost of around Rs 15-17 crore and completed with grandeur. For Krishna, Rs one crore is not enough. When a grand temple for Krishna is built, it will cost around Rs 20,000 crore. This is India. This is Krishna’s India, this is Ram’s India. Those who dream of the Babri Masjid forget it. Babri Masjid is gone. Its destruction is complete. Like the British left their heirs behind when they left, Babur too left his descendants behind.”

Leaders from Opposition parties also weighed in, though with a more measured tone. Congress leader Udit Raj said his party did not wish to be dragged into religious debates.

“If someone wants to build a temple or a mosque, let them do it. What the country truly needs is human development -- jobs, reservations, and quality education for Dalits and backward communities. Religious structures should not distract us from these core issues,” he said.

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said there was no objection to individuals constructing places of worship, but he strongly opposed the use of public funds for such purposes.

“There is no harm in building a temple or a mosque. But using money from the government treasury to do so is unacceptable,” he said.

Chowdhury also criticised the construction of religious replicas and new dhams using public funds, calling such expenditure unnecessary and unjustified.

Samajwadi Party MLA Ravidas Mehrotra said, "Under the Constitution, no individual is prohibited from building a temple or mosque. If someone builds a temple or mosque on their private property, no one should have any objection."

The latest controversy comes in the backdrop of suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir laying the foundation stone for a proposed Babri Masjid in Murshidabad on December 6. The Trinamool Congress suspended Kabir on December 4, 2025, after he publicly called for the construction of a ‘Babri Masjid’.

Despite his suspension, Kabir reiterated his stand on December 19, claiming that a mosque named Babri Masjid would be constructed in Murshidabad within three years and that no authority or political force could stop it. Kabir has said that the construction would begin in February and asserted that the project was already financially and logistically prepared.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor