Police vehicles set on fire allegedly by supporters of Indian Secular Front (ISF) at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal during a protest march to Kolkata over Waqf (Amendment) Act on April 14, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Violence erupted in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas in West Bengal on Monday (April 14, 2025) during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, even as violence-affected areas in the State’s Murshidabad district were slowly limping back to normalcy with no major incident reported in the past 36 hours.
The violence erupted during protests by a gathering called by Indian Secular Front leader and MLA Nawshad Siddique. A mob attacked police personnel and set five motorbikes used by the police on fire in the Sonepur bazaar area of Bhangar. A prison van was attacked, and some police personnel sustained injuries in the violence and stone throwing.
200 arrested
Earlier in the day, Jawed Shamim, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) said that no major violence has been reported in Murshidabad and the number of arrested has crossed 200. Mr. Shamim said that the process of return of people who fled their homes in the violence-affected areas and taken shelter in Malda district across the border has started.
The police officer said that about 100 to 200 people had fled by crossing the river and taken shelter in a school at Baishnabnagar in adjoining Malda district. The political parties of the Opposition, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleged that about 400 people from Murshidabad had to flee from their homes to escape violence. State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar visited one of the camps on Monday. The BJP leader said that the women who had taken shelter complained that their homes were torched and their property was destroyed.
Murshidabad violence: West Bengal Governor says central forces have been deployed
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The Hindu
“There were so many events planned [in the State] over the past 15 days, and all the events and festivals were observed peacefully. The scale of mobilisation on Friday and Saturday [April 11 and 12] was so high and a number of fronts were opened at the same time so it may be possible that police could not reach all places with the same intensity,” the ADG said. Three persons were killed in the violence on April 12 in the violence that erupted in protest of The Waqf (Amendment) Bill. On Monday afternoon fresh tension erupted at Jafrabad in Murshidabad district particularly after a delegation of CPI(M) leaders led by the party’s State Secretary Md. Salim visited the area
Mamata appeals for peace
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who inaugurated a skywalk to Kalighat temple on Bengali New Year eve during the day appealed for peace. “Everyone has a right to hold protests but with permission, whoever it is.. There will be provocation but one has to restrain themselves,” Ms. Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister also urged that nobody should play vicious games in the name of religion. “ When we are born and we die alone, why these riots,” she asked. The Chief Minister had earlier said that the Waqf ( Amendment) Act will not be implemented in the State and asked the protesters to hold demonstrations against the Centre.
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Senior officials of the BSF and CRPF also visited Murshidabad district and held meetings with higher ups of West Bengal Police. Additional Director General (East) of BSF Ravi Gandhi held a meeting with West Bengal Police DGP Rajeev Kumar. Locals mostly women from a particular community had gathered around Mr. Gandhi’s vehicle and urged him to ensure their protection. 17 companies of CAPF (central armed police force) have been deployed in the violence affected areas at the instruction of the Calcutta High Court.
Published – April 14, 2025 12:14 pm IST