Security forces have tightened controls at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata following a call for Friday prayers at a mosque on the premises.
The deployment aims to prevent law-and-order disruptions as the 136-year-old [2] mosque is slated for relocation. Because the site is located within the airport grounds, authorities are treating the potential for large gatherings as a significant security risk to aviation operations.
Airport security authorities and Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed to the area. To manage the crowd, officials imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS [3]. These orders specifically ban the assembly of four or more people [1] in the vicinity of the mosque.
The measures come after a call for Friday namaz was announced despite the planned relocation of the historic structure. Security personnel are monitoring the perimeter to ensure that the prohibitory orders are enforced and that airport access remains unobstructed.
Officials said the deployment is a precautionary measure to maintain peace and order. The use of Section 163 of the BNSS allows the administration to restrict public gatherings when there is a perceived threat to public tranquility.
Local authorities have not specified the exact timeline for the mosque's relocation, but the presence of Central Armed Police Forces indicates a high level of caution regarding the potential for protests over the access ban.
“Prohibitory orders ban the assembly of four or more people.”
The intersection of religious practice and critical infrastructure security often creates tension during urban redevelopment. By invoking Section 163 of the BNSS, the Indian government is prioritizing the operational security of a major international gateway over the traditional use of the mosque, signaling that airport perimeter integrity is currently the primary administrative priority.
