Kolkata, April 16: Violent protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district have triggered widespread unrest, prompting the displacement of several families and escalating political tensions in the state ahead of elections.
Clashes erupted on April 11 during demonstrations in the Muslim-majority Murshidabad district and soon spread to neighbouring districts, including Malda, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly. The protests, marked by arson, stone-pelting, and road blockades, have left at least three dead and scores injured, according to local authorities.
Following the violence, several families fled their homes, with many seeking refuge in neighbouring Jharkhand’s Pakur district and others moving into relief camps set up in Malda.
“I don’t really know what happened,” said an elderly shopkeeper who fled to Pakur. “They started hitting the doors, pelting bricks, and eventually broke the doors. My television, my mirror, my furniture, 2-3 almirahs, and all my money were at home. We came here the night before yesterday,” he told local media outlet ANI.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched a probe into the unrest and deployed nine companies—nearly 900 personnel—of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Murshidabad to restore order. So far, over 150 people have been arrested, and additional police presence has been ordered in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, and other affected areas.
Internet services have been suspended in parts of Murshidabad, and prohibitory orders are in place in several pockets of the district.
The unrest has sparked a political blame game in the state. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the West Bengal government for its handling of the situation. “Bengal is burning. The Chief Minister of the state is silent. She calls rioters ‘messengers of peace’,” Adityanath said during a rally.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of allowing a “Bangladesh-like situation” to unfold in the state. “They are trying to create an atmosphere of fear in Hindu-minority regions ahead of the Assembly elections,” he said, calling for the imposition of President’s Rule.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also lashed out at the Trinamool Congress government after visiting victims at Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. “People are struggling to survive, yet the state government says nothing,” he told reporters.
Preliminary intelligence reports suggest that the violence may have been instigated by Bangladeshi miscreants allegedly supported by local political leaders. Government sources said some of these groups later went beyond the control of those who initially mobilised them.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, which modifies regulations around religious endowments, has drawn strong reactions from minority groups, prompting widespread agitation across parts of eastern India.
