Fundraising Frenzy for Babri Masjid in West Bengal: Donations Flood In via Cash and UPI

In Murshidabad district’s Beldanga, Muslims have opened their coffers to fund the construction of a Babri Masjid, following a donation appeal by suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir. On December 6, Kabir inaugurated the project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and called for contributions, sparking an overwhelming response from donors across the state and the country.

According to reports, 11 donation boxes placed in Beldanga quickly filled with cash. QR codes shared on social media also generated massive online donations, with Kabir confirming that as of Monday evening, contributions through UPI alone had crossed ₹2.47 crore. The cash collected in six boxes totaled approximately ₹57 lakh, and counting continued into Tuesday.

Kabir estimated the total budget for the mosque construction at ₹38 crore. Donors arrived with cash along with bricks for the construction. The enthusiasm was so high that steel donation boxes were overflowing, prompting Kabir himself to request the public to pause further contributions, as bank deposit limits had been exceeded.

On Sunday night, Kabir entrusted 30 teachers from local madrasas to count the collected cash at his Behrampur residence under CCTV surveillance. The process was also live-streamed on social media to ensure transparency. Kabir stated that the public support had far exceeded expectations and claimed that donations had also come from outside India. He emphasized that all contributions were voluntary and dismissed rumors of foreign currency being found in the donation boxes.

Amid the excitement, Kabir revealed that he had received death threats on Sunday night. While no official complaint had been lodged by Monday evening, his trust deployed armed private security personnel to ensure 24-hour protection from Tuesday onwards. Currently, three police officers have been assigned to his security. Kabir also indicated plans to approach the Calcutta High Court seeking deployment of central forces for added security. Sources suggest that he will be visiting Delhi in the coming days to meet political leaders, including AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.