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According to news agency ANI quoting West Bengal Police, at least three people have been killed in violent clashes in Murshidabad district regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The violence anchored around Dhuliyan, a region with a sizable Muslim population, has drawn sharp political responses and the BJP has demanded an NIA inquiry into the situation.
There were reports of more violence in the Dhulian region of Samserganj’s Murshidabad where a male victim was shot in the leg. As per WB police, an excess of 150 persons have already been detained for the violence that began on Friday.
As Murshidabad vandalism leads to a politieke storm, Bidhannagar police commissioners order CAPF stand in.
The Calcutta High Court has directed the central forces to be positioned in the violent areas of Murshidabad after clarifying that “it cannot turn a blind eye to such situations”. A division bench led by Justice Soumen Sen has commanded the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) be positioned to Murshidabad in order to restore order and normal life to the region, as per PTI. The court also instructed that central forces must work alongside the state government.
The two governments have been told to prepare in depth documentation on the event’s development and impacts and submit it on the date scheduled. This was done to ensure that the documents were delivered by the requested date. This matter will be heard again on April 17.
This was, probably, the very first order where the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court was compelled to compose such an intricate order for a humble plea to the high court. The need for this lie in the elaborate reasoning accompanying the facility that was incorrectly granted on January 17. Adhikari had already received permission for the orders, but the high court overrode his plans, forcing him to operate under significantly constricted procedures and methodologies. It has now come to light, thanks to the extensive coverage focusing on the country’s governance, including the internal strife that has taken bold measures in contemporary India.
Adhikari's lawyer, BSF has not deployed adequate resources to the conflict zone. The court heard the plea during its holiday on Saturday, due to the nature of the issue. The court reiterated that adequate measures need to be taken to ensure that proper safety and security is afforded to residents so that quiet and order is maintained in the area.
With regard to the communal riot violence reported from the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, the Union Home Secretary convened a video conference with the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of West Bengal. The DGP briefed that while there was tension in the area, the situation was manageable and was being monitored intensively. Over one hundred and fifty persons have been arrested and local assistance from BSF is being provided, the Union Home Ministry reported.
In addition to the already deployed 300 BSF personnel, 5 additional companies have been sent to the state on its request. The Union Home Secretary further counseled the state to keep watch over other districts that may be categorized as potential hot zones and take appropriate actions to return the situation to normalcy. The MHA assured all possible assistance including adding more resources if required.
While discussing it on Saturday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that the Waqf (Amendment) Act will not be applicable in West Bengal. In a post on X, she stated, “Just to remind everyone, we did not formulate the law which is the reason for agitation. The law was formulated by the center. So the answer you seek, if at all, should be directed to the central government. We have made our stand on the matter very clear – we do not support this law. This law will not be executed in our state. What is the riot about then?”
Saugata Roy TMC MP has informed that “Muslims are not appeased hence Mamata CM summoned a meeting”. “Mamata Banerjee is the leader of the people of Bengal. She knows how to run Bengal. There is no place for BJP here. There is anger among the people (pertaining to the Waqf Bill), therefore, the Chief Minister called a meeting to appease the Muslims,” This is what he said, and was quoted by ANI.
The recent incidents of vandalism at several Railway Stations situated in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, perpetrated by the so-called 'protesters' opposing the passage of the Waqf Act are deliberate acts of destruction, targeting critical Public Infrastructure like… pic.twitter.com/vIOv0Bsrre
— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) April 12, 2025
Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and MP will issue speech and put a call for peace pratice, stating, “Some people want to set Bengal on fire. We should maintain peace and not fall prey to rumours…Many people are trying to create unrest in Bengal by sowing seeds of division in the name of religion. Today is a holiday for every true Indian”. As reported by ANI, Mr. Banerjee further appealed to all people to look after the peace and calm that prevails in Bengal.
“Law and order need to be separate,” commented Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, in a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He requested the investigation into the destruction of railway assets during the protests be given to the NIA. According to Sudevu “because of the sensitive nature of the violent protests and given that Murshidabad district borders Bangladesh, it is entirely suitable and pertinent for the NIA to conduct such an investigation.”
The New Farakka-Azimganj section was blocked for approximately six hours due to stoppage and damage between Dhuliandanga and Nimtita stations. District police alledgedly fired four rounds in control of the mob, injuring two personnel from the district.
In a different post, Suvendu blamed Mamata for trying to win over a vote bank that added value for over 25,000 teachers who were laid off as a result of the SSC scam. “Serenity & Order is absent in the state of West Bengal because in the State, the Ruling Party is…for the sake of garnering more votes, throws fuel on the fire of violence, and diverts the attention from the fact that almost 26,000 School Teachers have been thrown out of their services due to rampant corruption of TMC Party Leaders and the Ministers of the WB Government,” he wrote.
“They are free to run riot because the instructions have been given not to touch the radical vandals. They are on a rampage because Mamata Banerjee is at their mercy,” the BJP leader alleged. “Unfortunately her remote control is in the…if she tries to act tough her power will be snatched by these elements,” he added.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar believes that targeting a particular community. Communication in the region was cut off, at least until it was deemed safe to turn them back on. “We suspect that…some major fundamentalist terrorist organization may be pulling the strings from behind,” Majumdar, who is also the Union Minister of State for Education, posted on X.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien alleged that the BJP was intensifying communal problems in various states as a result of the Waqf Bill being passed ‘in the dead of night’ in Parliament. ‘This is a classic playbook of BJP-RSS. Then, they use their pet media to project State administrations as the antagonists,’ he said on X.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, in a fresh diatribe against the West Bengal Chief Minister, accused her of shielding and ‘actively supporting’ violence against Hindus. He argued during the press conference: ‘Targeted violence is taking place and Mamata Banerjee, the Home Minister and the Chief Minister, is actively supporting and fomenting that violence.’
Bhandari’s allegations went further, saying, ‘Mamata Banerjee has converted the land of Swami Vivekananda, the land of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, and the land of Rabindranath Tagore into a laboratory of appeasement.’ In his view, unlike other parts of the country, violence in Bengal is only occurring because ‘Mamata Banerjee is enabling it.’
While rebuking the state police, he noted, “The police administration, on one hand, uses lathis and batons because Mamata Banerjee has been caught in the SSC scam. But on the other hand, when a radical mob selectively targets Hindus in Malda, Murshidabad, and Nadia, the police do nothing.” He further stated that a court was needed so that Hindus in Bengal could observe religious holidays such as Saraswati Puja and Ram Navami. “Why is there no action taken to prevent the violence in Murshidabad when there is intelligence on the situation?” he questioned.
Alongside, Rajeev Kumar, DGP of West Bengal, reported that any attempts made towards inciting unrest would be firmly dealt with. “Any manifestation of rowdism will be strictly controlled. We are managing the situation with more intensity. Those who choose to misbehave will face consequences. We have already started taking action. In those parts where violence prevails, section163 comes into play,” he proclaimed.
Jawed Shami, ADG of police (law and order) admitted that the meeting led to an arrest count of 118. From Murshidabad alone, 70 were picked up from Suti and 41 from Samserganj. “We will not allow any attempt to disrupt the law and order situation,” a police officer told PTI.
Furthermore, authorities noted that in the areas hardest hit, internet access has been suspended and prohibitory orders placed. The police are currently patrolling to stop the reformation of regrouping miscreants. The situation up till Saturday morning remained somewhat tense, however, no new incidents were reported.
During the budget session of Parliament, The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed. Apart from Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and even Hooghly, there has been widespread violence regarding the protest. During the protest that took place on Friday, a number of police vehicles were set on fire and security forces faced a barrage of stones.
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