According to police officials, the unrest started after Friday prayers when a large number of people gathered and blocked a part of National Highway-12, from Dakbanglo More in Shamsherganj to Sutir Sajur More, to protest against the Waqf Act.
West Bengal saw violent protests on Friday against the Waqf Act, with several districts affected. Protesters blocked roads and railways, set vehicles on fire, and clashed with the police, injuring several officers. The worst violence was reported from Suti in Murshidabad, where prohibitory orders were already in place.
According to police officials, the unrest started after Friday prayers when a large number of people gathered and blocked a part of National Highway-12, from Dakbanglo More in Shamsherganj to Sutir Sajur More, to protest against the Waqf Act.
A senior police officer said,
“The protests turned violent after the agitators hurled stones at a police van, resulting in a clash in which around 10 policemen were injured.”
To control the mob, the police had to lathi-charge and later use tear gas shells. Some protesters also reportedly threw bomb-like objects at police forces.
As violence escalated,
“Some police personnel were compelled to take shelter in a nearby mosque amid the violence, as the district administration requested the BSF to intervene to restore normalcy,”
another officer confirmed.
Later in the evening, the situation was brought under control.
“Things are under control now. There is heavy police deployment in the area. We are conducting raids to nab those behind today’s violence,” the officer told.
Due to the unrest, internet services remained suspended in affected areas like Jangipur, and prohibitory orders continued to stay in place.
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In Malda district, protesters blocked railway tracks, leading to a major disruption in train services. A group also attacked and vandalised a police vehicle during a protest in Amtala in South 24 Parganas.
The Eastern Railway confirmed that services were badly hit on the New Farakka-Azimganj section, due to
“obstruction and vandalism by a large group of people between Dhuliandanga-Nimtita stations.”
In the state capital Kolkata, students of Aliah University staged demonstrations at Park Circus. Rallies were also reported from the Khidirpur area.
Taking note of the unrest, Governor C V Ananda Bose gave strict instructions to the state government to take quick and strong action.
A senior Raj Bhavan official said:
“I have been receiving disturbing reports about some people taking law and order in their hands in some parts of West Bengal. Protest is welcome in democracy, but not violence. Public order cannot be disturbed and people’s lives cannot be tampered with in the name of protest. Strong action will be taken against the miscreants who think that they can take law in their hands,”
Governor Bose said in a video released by Raj Bhavan.
The Governor also contacted Union Home Minister Amit Shah and spoke with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss the situation.
Bose is closely monitoring the situation and a 24×7 control room has been set up, along with a dedicated helpline for public assistance, the Raj Bhavan official added.
Waqf (Amendment) Act
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was recently passed in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, after long debates.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is a law that changes parts of the existing Waqf Act, 1995. The goal is to make the management of Waqf properties more efficient, transparent, and modern.
The original Waqf Act was made to regulate and manage Waqf properties – these are properties given for religious or charity purposes under Islamic law.
The Bill was first introduced in August 2024 and later sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which made some suggestions for changes.
Now, it has been officially passed by the Lok Sabha.
Key Changes Proposed in the Bill
- The Bill renames the original Act as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act to reflect a broader goal of better management.
- Earlier, any long-term use or endowment could be declared as Waqf. But now, only a person who has practiced Islam for at least five years and owns the property can declare it as waqf. This removes the earlier idea of “waqf by user.”
- It also ensures that waqf-alal-aulad (waqf for family) cannot deny inheritance rights to legal heirs, including women.
- The Bill removes the power of Waqf Boards to decide whether a property is Waqf or not.
- The original law required all members of the Central Waqf Council to be Muslims, but the Bill now says that two members must be non-Muslims. MPs, judges, and other experts appointed to the Council don’t have to be Muslims. However, Muslim scholars, leaders, and board chairpersons must be Muslims, and at least two of them must be women.
- The Central Government gets more power to make rules for registration and auditing of Waqf accounts and the functioning of Waqf Boards.
- Earlier, State governments could audit Waqf accounts. Now, the Central government can ask the CAG or other officers to do the audit.
- The Bill also allows for separate Waqf Boards not just for Sunni and Shia, but also for smaller sects like Aghakhani and Bohra.
- One big change is about legal disputes: Earlier, decisions made by Waqf Tribunals were final and couldn’t be challenged in regular courts. But now, these decisions can be appealed in High Courts within 90 days.
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