A demonstration against Waqf (Amendment) Act turned violent in Bhangar, South 24 Parganas district, where workers of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and police forces clashed. The clash led to five motorcycles and a van belonging to police being burnt, forcing the law enforcement agency to use baton charges to disperse the protesters.
The disturbances started when ISF supporters tried to march towards Ramlila Maidan in the heart of Kolkata for a rally organized by Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddique. Police stopped the procession at Bhojerhat on the Basanti Highway, claiming the protests were not sanctioned properly. Demonstrations escalated when demonstrators tried to push aside police barricades, and violent clashes occurred.
Several police officers were injured, and one ISF worker sustained a head injury in the altercation. Traffic was greatly disrupted on the highway due to the chaos. In his speech during the rally, Siddique condemned the Waqf (Amendment) Act, terming it an attack on the Muslim community as well as the Indian Constitution. He demanded the Act be withdrawn and accused the government of backing such a bill. Replying to this, Canning Purba TMC MLA Showkat Mollah rejected the ISF as a "party of no account" and charged Siddique with trying to bring unrest to the state.
At the same time, tensions continued in the Jafrabad locality of Murshidabad, following earlier episodes of violence over the same Act. The district had just seen four days of intermittent violence, leaving residents with three persons dead, including a man and his son. Though the situation was being brought under control, ongoing media reports of stone-pelting by miscreants hinted at a continuing aura of unrest.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, enacted on 4th April 2025, has been controversial with critics claiming that it dilutes the independence of Waqf boards and takes away the rights of the Muslim community. Enforcement of the Act has resulted in protests in different parts of the country that are an expression of deep-rooted apprehensions about its impact
