Kolkata, March 4 Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir, who was constructing a mosque modeled after Ayodhya's Babri Masjid in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, was provided with Y-Plus category security by the central government, a source close to the politician said.
A central security team reached Kabir's residence in Murshidabad on Wednesday, the source said. Kabir is also the founder president of the Janata Unnayan Party (JUP).
Kabir had laid the foundation stone for the mosque in Rejinagar on December 6 last year, further escalating the political temperature in the state, where assembly elections are likely to be held in April.
In January, Kabir moved the Calcutta High Court seeking central security, citing threats to his life. The court directed him to submit a representation to the Ministry of Home Affairs in this regard.
"Following the high court's order, Kabir filed the application, after which the Centre decided to provide him with Y-Plus category security," the source said.
An 11-member team of central security force personnel reached the residence of the Bharatpur MLA in the afternoon.
Kabir has released his personal security guards, and he will now be under the protection of the central security force, the source said.
In 2023, opposition ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui was also provided with Y-Plus security.