Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended MLA Humayun Kabir after he publicly announced plans to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. Party leaders said Kabir had earlier been cautioned for making such statements but continued to push ahead with the controversial proposal.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said the MLA’s remarks were unacceptable, stressing that the party stood firmly by its secular stance. “We noticed that one of our MLAs suddenly declared he would build the Babri masjid. We had warned him before. As per the party’s decision, we are suspending him,” he said.

Kabir vows to continue project, may form new party

Kabir had planned to lay the foundation stone for the mosque replica in Beldanga on December 6. Sources indicated he is likely to resign from Trinamool on Friday and float a new party while continuing with the project.

The choice of date and nature of the project drew sharp criticism from the Trinamool leadership. Hakim alleged the move reflected a “divisional politics” strategy aligned with the BJP. “Why December 6? He could build a school or college. This is divisional politics,” he said.

Sources also said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was “hugely annoyed” by Kabir’s remarks and informed him that the party would not support or associate with such activities.

Governor raises concerns, administration on alert

West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose questioned why action was not being taken if the MLA’s statements risked creating a law-and-order issue. He said intelligence inputs suggested attempts to turn Murshidabad into a “hub of scandal,” adding that authorities would not remain silent if communal tensions were provoked.

Officials confirmed that while Kabir has permission to hold the December 6 event, the administration is maintaining a high-level alert in Murshidabad.

Minutes after his suspension, Kabir withdrew from Mamata Banerjee’s rally in the India–Bangladesh border district, where she was protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

BJP attacks Kabir over remarks

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo condemned Kabir’s comments, claiming they were intended to “create communal tensions.” He said any attempt to raise structures linked to historical rulers would trigger disputes similar to the Babri Masjid conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in New Delhi today for a two-day visit that is set to focus on defence cooperation, energy supplies, mobility agreements and trade expansion. His trip includes a private dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

Key highlights of the visit

President Putin is scheduled to land in the capital this evening, where an informal dinner with PM Modi will set the stage for formal discussions on Friday. He will receive a ceremonial welcome in the morning before visiting Rajghat to pay homage at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial. The two leaders will then meet at Hyderabad House for the annual summit, followed by a working lunch.

India is expected to raise the issue of pending military hardware deliveries, which have slowed since the Ukraine conflict began. The agenda also includes additional S-400 air defence systems — part of a USD 5 billion contract under which three squadrons have already been delivered. Two more units are expected by mid-next year.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has indicated that talks may also touch upon India’s interest in the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft, with New Delhi currently assessing several next-generation platforms.

Energy cooperation will be another crucial component of the dialogue. Russia is expected to update India on efforts to maintain steady crude oil supplies amid US sanctions that have impacted shipments. Peskov noted that supplies may dip briefly, but Moscow is working to stabilise flows.

On the sidelines, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov are expected to hold discussions on key military programmes.

President Putin’s visit comes as India navigates recent friction with Washington, including steep tariffs — 50 per cent across several categories and an additional 25 per cent linked to Russian crude oil imports.

The Russian President is also expected to brief PM Modi on the latest US diplomatic moves concerning the Ukraine conflict. India continues to advocate for a resolution based on dialogue and diplomacy while refraining from criticising Moscow.

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, faced another day of widespread disruption on Thursday as hundreds of passengers across major cities were left stranded due to continued flight cancellations triggered primarily by a shortage of crew under revised duty norms.

Flight disruptions worsen across major airports

IndiGo’s operations remained heavily impacted in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad, with airports witnessing long queues and frustrated travellers. More than 30 departures from Delhi were scrapped early in the day, while Hyderabad recorded about 33 cancellations. Bengaluru airport confirmed that 73 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Thursday, and Mumbai also saw significant disruptions.

Sources told media that the total cancellations could exceed 170 flights through the day.

Passengers took to social media to highlight severe delays, with some alleging they were kept waiting for more than 12 hours without accommodation or timely updates.

IndiGo cites operational challenges, promises stabilisation

Acknowledging the strain on its vast network of over 2,200 daily flights, IndiGo apologised to customers and attributed the disruptions to multiple factors, including technological issues, winter schedule adjustments, harsh weather, airspace congestion and the new crew rostering rules known as Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).

The airline said it has initiated “calibrated adjustments” to stabilise operations over the next 48 hours.

Crew shortage under revised FDTL rules behind the crisis

A key driver of the ongoing chaos is the shortage of flight crew, especially pilots, following the implementation of the second phase of updated FDTL norms on November 1.

The revised rules mandate longer rest periods, extend night hours, and reduce allowable night landings. Airlines had initially opposed the changes but were required to comply following a court directive.

According to the aviation regulator, IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights in November alone — 755 of them due to crew and FDTL constraints.

DGCA seeks answers as OTP plunges

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned IndiGo officials for a review meeting. The regulator said it is assessing the reasons for continuing disruptions and the airline’s recovery plan.

IndiGo’s on-time performance dipped to 67.7% in November, down from 84.1% in October, driven by constraints from crew availability, ATC system failures, airport restrictions and weather factors.