Kolkata: Namaz at the over 130-year-old Gouripur Jama Masjid inside the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata has been suspended for three days starting Saturday for the shrine’s renovation, an official said.
The shrine, also known as Bankra mosque, is located a few hundred metres from the secondary runway.
“There is construction work at the mosque for two to three days. For this, entries to the shrine for namaz have been suspended during this period,” the official told PTI.
BJP’s Dum Dum Uttar MLA Sourav Sikdar alleged that the mosque’s presence within the airport premises has affected the full operational use of the two runways and raised security concerns.
He also claimed that people visiting it for prayers do not require airport passes or background verification.
“An airport is a secured area. Any person entering the airport has to obtain a biometric pass with a photograph. This mosque is located in the highest-security area, known as Level 3,” he told PTI.
Sikdar said the airport handles the movement of VVIPs, including the prime minister and chief minister, besides lakhs of passengers every month.
He said his party had raised the issue with the authorities, claiming that the existing arrangement posed a potential security concern.
Former Trinamool Congress MLA and minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury said there was no need to suspend namaz at the mosque while discussions with authorities were underway.
“The mosque is there for more than 135 years, and there is an ongoing discussion on this issue. We are open to any amicable solution, and there was no need to stop entries for namaz,” Chowdhury told PTI.
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