Fresh confrontations erupted on Monday in West Bengal's Bhangar region in South 24 Parganas district as agitations related to the Waqf (Amendment) Act flared again. Meanwhile, the law and order situation in Murshidabad—the previously hotbed area of riots—had improved significantly, authorities claimed.
In Bhangar, ISF members clashed with police during protests against the contentious Act. The clashes resulted in several injuries, damage to government property, and the torched vehicles of several police vans.
In accord with police, things went sour when police officers tried to barricade ISF demonstrators from going to Ramlila Maidan in central Kolkata, where ISF chief and Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddique was to deliver a speech in protest against the Act.
The clash took place near Bhojerhat along the Basanti Highway, where ISF activists from Bhangar and neighboring areas such as Minakhan and Sandeshkhali had gathered in big numbers. As protesters attempted to break through police barricades, tensions ran high and soon took a violent turn.
"Protesters burned some police vehicles and hurt some officers during the clashes," said a senior police officer.
Eyewitnesses observed that police used lathi-charge to deal with the mob after realizing that the rally did not have the required police permission. One supporter of ISF allegedly suffered a head injury in the scuffle.
The agitation increased as ISF activists conducted a sit-in on the highway, causing traffic to be gridlocked for several hours. Senior officers and a full police contingent later succeeded in dispersing the crowd and restoring normalcy.
Opposition politicians criticized the police for allegedly not being able to control the mob.
Addressing the rally in Kolkata, Siddique criticized the law: "This law is not merely an attack on Muslims, but it is an attack on the Constitution. We won't accept this Act. The government supporting such laws must go," he declared.
Earlier in the day, senior officials from the Border Security Force (BSF) toured areas of Murshidabad that had been tainted by violence in recent days. Their visit was intended to reassure locals and help restore peace.
Ravi Gandhi, Additional Director General (East) of the BSF, headed the team that toured Suti, Samserganj, and Dhulian—areas that had seen intense unrest over the weekend, leaving at least three people dead and several injured.
"Affected families were met with and their safety assured. Personnel are now based in the region, and all is returning to normal slowly," Gandhi said after the visit to PTI.
He also met with the state's Director General of Police and other senior officials. "We have created a joint strategy with state police to enhance patrolling and are working in close coordination to ensure peace returns," he further said.
Police officials also shared similar views, adding that conditions in Murshidabad were improving steadily, with local shops opening up and families who had been displaced starting to return.
"Shops have opened and the people are returning. Till date, 19 families have regained their homes. Malda and Murshidabad administrations are working towards rehabilitative purposes under safe conditions," stated Jawed Shamim, Additional Director General (Law and Order).
210 arrests had already been made, he added and asked the public to refrain from spreading or believing rumours. "There can be peace only when rumour-mongering stops," he said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee later in the day, in a call on people not to use religion as an alibi for illegal actions, inaugurating a skywalk adjacent to the Kali temple near Kalighat.
"Everybody enjoys the democratic freedom of protesting peacefully if they seek permission. Please don't take the law in your own hands," Banerjee said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar went to a relief camp at a school in Malda where some Hindu families from Murshidabad had taken refuge in the wake of the recent violence.
Addressing the media after meeting the migrant families, Majumdar spoke of poignant moments during the visit. "Their houses were gutted, belongings looted, and they were threatened with death. One woman is here with her four-day-old baby," he said.
He accused "fundamentalist forces" of the attacks, claiming they employed the protests as a cover. "Originally, there were about 200-250 families here. Now, because of police pressure to close down the camp and hide Mamata Banerjee's failure, there are only 70-75 families left. These people are still in fear," he alleged.
Senior Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari called for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections to be conducted under President's rule on the grounds of what he referred to as an overall breakdown of governance.
Adhikari said that the Murshidabad violence highlighted the inadequacy of the government to safeguard its own people. "Wherever there is a Hindu minority, Hindus are not allowed to vote. Police act as party workers of the ruling administration. For fair and free polls, President's rule should be enforced," he told a media conference in Kolkata.
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