Muslims have constitutional right to build Babri Masjid: JD(U) MP Kaushalendra Kumar
Nalanda, Bihar: Janata Dal (United) MP Kaushalendra Kumar on Monday expressed support for Humayun Kabir, the suspended Trinamool Congress MLA from West Bengal, who recently laid the foundation stone for a “Babri Masjid” in Murshidabad district. His remarks were reported by PTI.
Speaking to journalists in his Nalanda parliamentary constituency, the JD(U) leader said the Constitution grants every citizen the right to practice and propagate their religion, and therefore “nobody should have a problem” if building such a mosque aligns with the sentiments of Muslims.
Kaushalendra Kumar’s statement comes despite the JD(U) being an ally of the BJP both in Bihar and at the Centre. He distanced himself from the BJP’s stance that constructing a mosque in the memory of Babur would be akin to honouring an “invader” who later established the Mughal empire in India.
“I have not seen Babur and do not have much idea of what he stood for. But we have been following the Constitution since Independence, which guarantees the right to freedom of religion,” he said.
When asked about the BJP’s strong opposition to the proposed mosque in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the MP countered that the political situation was being misrepresented.
He argued that it was West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who acted against a Muslim leader “for voicing his religious sentiments,” referring to Kabir’s suspension by the TMC over the mosque foundation event.
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Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
