Kolkata, Oct. 1 -- The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Thursday told the Calcutta High Court that the committee managing the 136-year-old Bankra mosque, located within the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport complex, had agreed in discussions to consider shifting the place of worship.
Appearing for AAI, senior advocate SN Mookherjee cited security breaches, including instances of people being found on a runway, and said meetings had been held with the mosque committee over the issue. He also claimed that documents relating to the discussions had not been brought before the court.
The committee, however, challenged the abrupt stoppage of what it described as "regulated access" to the mosque from July 11. Senior advocate Kishore Datta argued that access had been controlled for decades, with visitors being transported to the mosque after their identity cards were checked, and questioned why existing security procedures could not continue. The dispute centres on a mosque that predates the airport. The committee contends that it was not served any formal notification announcing its closure or prohibiting access. Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Kumar Trivedi opposed interim relief, citing aviation security concerns.
During the hearing, Justice Krishna Rao observed that security concerns were not unique to India, referring to the recent Flydubai incident.
When the committee pressed for interim access for prayers, the court suggested that a separate room within the airport could be provided for worship. The matter will be heard on October 7.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.