Railway Tracks Blocked As Protests, Violence Break Out In Parts Of Bengal Over Waqf Act

There was tension in at least two pockets of West Bengal on Friday afternoon following protests by members of a community against the Waqf Amendment Act.

Tension prevailed at Nimtita and Suti in minority-dominated Murshidabad district on Friday, following clashes between the protesters and the security personnel. At Nimtita railway station, protesters blocked railway tracks for hours and vandalised railway properties.

Railway Police Force personnel later had to resort to lathicharge to bring the situation under control. The protesters had also thrown stones at the security personnel, some of whom were injured.

Later, Border Security Force personnel were deployed in the area and, as per the latest available information, the situation is largely under control.

Clashes also broke out between protesters and the state police personnel at the Sajur Crossing area under Suti police station in Murshidabad district on Friday, as the protesters reportedly threw stones and crude bombs towards police personnel.

A number of police personnel and some pedestrians were also injured. The police then lathicharged the mob. 

Additional police forces had been deployed in the area to keep the situation under control. However, tension prevailed in the area till the time of filing of this report.

Similar tension broke out at Amtala area in the South 24 Parganas district as people protesting against the Waqf Act attacked local police personnel there. The police retaliated, and traffic was impacted on National Highway 117 for quite some time.

The situation was similar at Champdani in Hooghly district of West Bengal.

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the state had been witnessing large-scale violence, anarchy and lawlessness in the name of protests by a certain group of radicals.

“These people, who have clearly stated that they are against the Constitution of India and would oppose the law of the land, have taken over the streets. Public and private properties are being vandalised at will. Public safety has been compromised as general people are at the mercy of these ruthless mobs of radicals,” he said.

The office of Governor CV Ananda Bose contacted the office of Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and conveyed a message from the Governor that the police should adopt prompt and strict measures to keep the situation under control.

Later, the Governor issued a video message claiming that he had been receiving disturbing reports about some people taking law and order into their hands in some parts of Bengal. He also informed that, on receipt of information about certain troubles likely to brew in certain parts of West Bengal, he had a confidential discussion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“Even today, when some of the disturbances broke out, discussions were held with the government authorities. The Chief Secretary has assured that the government is taking very stern action against the miscreants and will not allow disturbances to escalate. The state is prepared. All action will be taken against miscreants. Nobody will be allowed to take the law into their own hands,” the Governor added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)