Kolkata, Oct 7 The Centre on Wednesday opposed a petition before the Calcutta High Court seeking resumption of prayers at Bankra Mosque on the Kolkata Airport premises, asserting that national security is paramount and overrides "permissible public interest".
Justice Krishna Rao adjourned hearing of the matter till October 9 on a prayer by the petitioners' lawyer to make submissions in reply to the contentions of the authorities.
Additional Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi stated before the court that national security is paramount and overrides "permissible public interest", and that the authorities plan an expansion of the airport, which is being hampered by the presence of the mosque inside a highly sensitive operative zone.
He opposed the petitioners' plea for an interim order allowing prayers to continue at the mosque till disposal of the case before the court.
Representing the Airports Authority of India (AAI), barrister S N Mookerjee stated that prayers at Bankra Mosque were suspended on July 11, while the petitioners moved the court on August 27.
Stating that the authorities have pointed out that the security arrangements in place for the people to participate in prayers in the mosque within the airport area was not proving to be foolproof, he submitted that the national and aviation security is involved in the matter.
Buttressing the contentions of the AAI and the Centre, the lawyer representing the West Bengal government stated that the petitioners have no legal right as the land on which the mosque is situated had been acquired by the government.
Additional Advocate General Billwadal Bhattacharya, representing the state, prayed for rejection of the petition.
The petitioners' lawyer stated that the prayers at the mosque are being held for the last 136 years and that there has not been a single complaint against any of the people offering prayers there.
The petitioners challenged the stopping of prayers at the mosque situated within the perimeter of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.
During the previous hearing of the matter on October 1, the petitioners' counsel Kishore Dutta stated that the Bankra Mosque predates the airport, maintaining that while the aerodrome started functioning in 1924, the mosque is about 136 years old.
He stated that a village named Bankra was acquired for construction of the airport, but the mosque situated within was allowed to remain.
Dutta stated that from July 11, locals were stopped from accessing the mosque to offer prayers and perform other rituals.
Stating that access to the mosque was regulated, he said security personnel transported those offering prayers to and from the mosque by bus.
Maintaining that previously there was no security concern regarding prayers at the mosque, Dutta prayed for an interim order allowing the regulated access to continue until this court passes an order.
The court will hear the matter again on October 9.
