Two people were brutally hacked to death and one person succumbed to bullet injuries as violent unrest swept parts of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Saturday, following a wave of protests against the newly passed Waqf Amendment Act. The clashes mark the latest escalation in a politically charged atmosphere that has left the state government on high alert.
According to police, a father-son duo was attacked and killed by a mob in the remote Jafrabad area, while another civilian, injured in gunfire in Samserganj, later died from his wounds. Initial reports suggest the bullets may have been fired by central forces, possibly the Border Security Force (BSF), which had been deployed to the area to assist in restoring order.
Waqf Amendment Act Protests Trigger Bloodshed
Saturday’s violence came just a day after large-scale unrest erupted across Malda, Murshidabad, Hooghly, and South 24 Parganas districts, where protesters opposed to the Waqf Amendment Act blocked roads, torched vehicles — including police vans — and clashed with security forces.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in an effort to calm the situation, announced that the controversial Waqf Amendment Act would not be implemented in the state. In a statement, Banerjee clarified, “The Waqf Act is a Central law. My government does not support it and it will not be enforced in West Bengal.”
In a direct appeal for peace, she added on social media, “My sincere appeal to people of all religions — please remain calm and restrained. Do not fall into the trap of communal provocation. Every human life is precious. Let’s not allow politics to incite riots.”
Police Crackdown: Over 110 Arrested, Raids Ongoing
Police confirmed that at least 118 people have been arrested so far in connection with the widespread violence, and the number is expected to rise as raids are being conducted across multiple locations.
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Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Jawed Shamim urged the public to refrain from spreading or believing social media rumors, emphasizing that the law enforcement agencies are committed to restoring peace. A heavy security presence, including state police and BSF units, remains stationed in violence-hit zones like Jangipur.
Political Blame Game Intensifies
As tensions flared, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) of losing control over law and order. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari described the violence as “Not a protest, but a premeditated act of violence and an assault on democracy by Jihadist forces.”
Adhikari also demanded the case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), highlighting the scale and severity of the clashes. He has written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, raising concerns about vandalism at railway stations during the mob violence.
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BJP West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar also alleged that communication blackouts in the affected regions were “deliberately” imposed, cutting off victims from sharing their grievances with the outside world.
On the other hand, Trinamool leaders accused the BJP of communal polarization. Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien slammed the BJP on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “This is the classic BJP-RSS playbook, stoking fires of communalism post-midnight laws like the Waqf Amendment Bill.”
Security Tightened, Situation Under Control
Authorities confirmed that security forces, assisted by the BSF, have managed to bring the situation under control in most of the affected areas. Large contingents of personnel continue to patrol Murshidabad and surrounding districts, with particular attention focused on Jangipur, the epicenter of the violence.
As the state remains tense but cautiously stable, both the ruling TMC and opposition BJP are expected to escalate their political campaigns over the Waqf Amendment Act — a law that has already ignited sharp communal and legislative debates nationwide.
