Babri Mosque foundation ceremony brings NH-12 to a standstill

The proposed Babri Mosque’s foundation stone was laid at Beldangain Murshidabad on Saturday by suspended Trinamul Congress MLA Humayun Kabir, exactly as he had announced.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Butthe large-scale mobilisation for the event triggered severe traffic disruption on national highway 12 (formerly NH-34), leaving the artery virtually paralysed for hours.

Traffic began slowing down shortly after 11 a.m. along the stretch between Baruya Mor and Raghunathganjs Rejinagar.

Bynoon, the Kolkata-bound Lane was choked with vehicles lined up bumper-to-bumper, while the Siliguri-bound lane moved marginally better but at a crawl.

Thousands of commuters were stranded, with administrative sources indicating that normal traffic flow was unlikely to be restored before evening.

The venue — only 300 to 400 metres off NH-12 — drew massive crowds on foot and in vehicles, overwhelming the corridor that serves as West Bengal’s primary north-south lifeline.

Rows of parked vehicles along the highway narrowed the space further. As jamming intensified, many walked 7-8 km to reach the site, some taking detours across agricultural fields.