Bengal anti-Waqf protests: 150 held as Murshidabad tense after deadly clashes

NEW DELHI: Scenes of devastation unfolded across West Bengal’s violence-hit Murshidabad district on Sunday, with paramilitary forces conducting patrols through deserted streets. The district remains tense following the violent protests triggered by the Waqf Act, Indian media reported.

In response to escalating unrest, the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of paramilitary forces in the district’s most sensitive areas.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has termed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as “Modern day Jinnah” and claimed that her party’s actions are akin to Muslim League in 1940’s.

Condemning Mamata’s silence over the death of the three people in the violent protests in Murshidabad, BJP leader Tarun Chugh accused the TMC-led government of continuously compromising with the safety of the Hindus in the name of minority appeasement.

Protests erupted in Murshidabad against the recently enacted Waqf amendment act in West Bengal. West Bengal Police have arrested a total of 150 individuals and adequate police forces have been deployed in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, and other affected areas to maintain order, according to a statement by the police.

On Saturday, a special bench of the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces “immediately” in Murshidabad in the wake of widespread violence.

The high court also instructed both the Mamata government and the Centre to submit detailed reports on the situation. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on April 17. Meanwhile, BJP claimed that over 400 Hindus have been “forced to flee” their houses following the tension.

On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed for calm, saying her government would not implement the bill in the state – home to 25 million Muslims. “This law will not be applicable in our state. So why the riot?” she said in a post on X. Banerjee, who leads the regional Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, pleaded with her constituents “not to engage in any non-religious behaviour in the name of religion”, promising legal action against participants.