Violent protests over the Waqf Amendment Act in Murshidabad, West Bengal, have resulted in three deaths. The Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces in violence-hit area.
At least three people have died in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district amid violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, as reported by news agency ANI citing West Bengal Police. The unrest, centred around Dhuliyan in the Muslim-majority region, has prompted sharp political reactions and a call by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Fresh violence was reported from Samserganj’s Dhulian area in Murshidabad, where one person sustained a bullet injury. So far, 118 people have been arrested in connection with the disturbances that erupted on Friday, police said, as per news agency PTI.
Calcutta High Court Orders CAPF Deployment As Murshidabad Violence Triggers Political Storm
- The Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces in violence-hit Murshidabad, remarking it "cannot keep its eyes closed when such situations come up." A division bench, presided over by Justice Soumen Sen, ordered deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the affected areas of Murshidabad to help restore normalcy, PTI reported. The court ordered central forces to operate in coordination with the state administration.
It also instructed both the state government and the Union government to submit detailed reports on the situation. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on April 17. - The Calcutta High Court order came as a special bench comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury was constituted by the Chief Justice to urgently hear a plea filed by Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, demanding deployment of central forces in the violence district. "Seven companies of BSF have been deployed in strife-hit Suti, Dhuliyan, and Samserganj areas of Murshidabad," the state lawyer told the high court, as per PTI.
Adhikari's lawyer, however, argued that the BSF personnel were not being deployed properly to contain the situation. The bench heard the plea on a court holiday on Saturday, seeing the urgency of the situation. The court stressed that citizens must be provided with adequate security and protection to ensure peace and order in the region. - Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, addressing the issue on Saturday, made it clear that the Waqf (Amendment) Act would not be enforced in West Bengal. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she said, “Remember, we did not make the law over which many are agitated. The law was made by the central government. So the answer you want should be sought from the central government. We have made our position clear on this matter — we do not support this law. This law will not be implemented in our state. So what is the riot about?”
- Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee appealed for peace, 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. I appeal to everyone today to maintain peace and preserve Bengal’s legacy of harmony.”
- Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, in a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urged that the investigation into the vandalism of railway property during the protests be handed over to the NIA. “Given the sensitive nature of the violent protests and because Murshidabad district borders Bangladesh, NIA is perfectly suited to hold the investigation into such violence,” Suvendu wrote.
Train services in the New Farakka-Azimganj section were disrupted for nearly six hours due to obstruction and vandalism between Dhuliandanga and Nimtita stations. Police said four rounds were fired by district personnel to control the mob, injuring two individuals.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 - In another post, Suvendu accused Mamata of appeasing vote bank to try drive attention from over 25,000 teachers who lost their jobs due to the SSC scam. "Peace & Harmony is elusive in West Bengal, because the ruling party of the State is instigating violence to appease its vote bank and to divert attention from the matter of nearly 26,000 School Teachers losing their jobs due to rampant corruption of the TMC Party Leaders and WB Govt Ministers," he wrote.
"The Police have been ordered to refrain from taking any action against the radical vandals. They are on a rampage because Mamata Banerjee is at their mercy. Unfortunately her remote control is in the possession of the Jihadists, if she tries to act tough her power will be snatched by these elements," the BJP leader alleged.
- BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that a specific community was being targeted, and communication networks in affected areas had been suspended. “We suspect that a major fundamentalist terrorist group may be instigating this from behind the scenes,” 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 inciting communal tension across states after the Waqf Bill was passed “in the dead of night” in Parliament. “This is a classic playbook of BJP-RSS. And then they deploy their lapdog media to portray State governments as villains,” he wrote on X.
- BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari launched an attack on the West Bengal Chief Minister, accusing her of protecting and encouraging “anti-Hindu” violence. Addressing a press conference, he said, “Targeted violence is happening and Mamata Banerjee, who is the Home Minister and the Chief Minister, is encouraging, supporting and inciting that violence.”
Bhandari further alleged, “Mamata Banerjee has turned the land of Swami Vivekananda, the land of Syama Prasad Mukherjee, land of Rabindranath Tagore into a laboratory of appeasement.” He claimed that unlike other parts of the country, violence was only occurring in Bengal because “Mamata Banerjee is supporting it.
Criticising the state police, he added, “On one hand, the police administration uses lathis and batons because Mamata Banerjee has been exposed in the SSC scam. On the other hand, when a radical mob attacks Hindus in Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia in a targeted manner, police sit quietly.” He also said that Hindus in Bengal had to approach courts for permission to celebrate religious festivals like Saraswati Puja and Ram Navami. “Why have the incidents of violence not been stopped in Murshidabad despite having intelligence?” he asked.Mamata Banerjee is supporting, inciting, and encouraging violence, which is why the police have not taken strong action.
— BJP (@BJP4India) April 12, 2025
In the past, TMC ministers have threatened to throw Hindus into the Bhagirathi River or have made statements claiming Kolkata will become a Muslim majority… pic.twitter.com/s0xSdy3apD - Meanwhile, West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said that any attempt to create unrest would be dealt with firmly. “Any kind of hooliganism will not be tolerated. We are dealing with the situation very strongly. Strict action will be taken against those who indulge in hooliganism. Section 163 is applicable in violence-affected areas,” he said.
- Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim confirmed that 118 people had been arrested. In Murshidabad alone, 70 were detained from Suti and 41 from Samserganj. “We will not allow any attempt to disrupt the law and order situation,” a police officer told PTI.
- Officials added that internet services have been suspended and prohibitory orders imposed in the worst-hit areas. Police patrols are underway to prevent regrouping of miscreants. The situation remained tense on Saturday morning, though no new incident was reported.
The Waqf Amendment Bill was passed during the budget session of Parliament. Protests against it have led to widespread violence in districts including Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly. Several police vehicles were torched and stones were hurled at security personnel during Friday’s agitation.
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