Airport security suspends mosque prayers over aircraft safety concerns

Aviation security officials suspended prayers at the 136-year-old Bankra mosque inside Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport after objections to civilian access across active aircraft taxiways. Sourav Sikdar and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari emphasized national security, while Siddiqullah Chowdhury, president of the mosque committee, appealed for dialogue. The mosque's location hinders airport operations; AAI proposed relocation to an alternative site outside the perimeter.