Police vehicles torched, stones hurled during protest over Waqf Amendment Act in Bengal's Murshidabad

The incident happened in the Jangipur area where a large number of people gathered in the afternoon to demand the withdrawal of the Act.

Kolkata: A protest against the new Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, took a violent turn in Murshidabad, West Bengal, on Tuesday, with stones being hurled at the cops and police vehicles being set on fire.

The incident prompted the BJP, the main opposition party in West Bengal, to target the ruling TMC. Amit Malviya, who oversees the BJP’s affairs in West Bengal, alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government had lost control over vast areas of the state as she had been pursuing a policy of appeasement, allowing illegal infiltration for years, resulting in “demographic distortions.”

The West Bengal police, however, claimed in the evening that the situation at Jangipur in Murshidabad – the scene of the violent protests – had been brought under control and the unruly mob had been dispersed.

A police officer said that a large number of people had participated in a protest against the new Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in Jangipur on Tuesday. The protest turned violent when some miscreants started pelting stones at the police personnel. Some police vehicles were also set ablaze. Some of the cops deployed on the scene were injured.

With additional security personnel being rushed in, the local administration later brought the situation under control and deployed a large number of police personnel in the area to avoid further escalation.

“The situation in Jangipur is completely under control. The unruly mob has been dispersed. Traffic has returned to normalcy on the national highway. Strict action will be taken against those who have resorted to violence. Legal action will also be initiated against rumourmongers trying to spread misinformation,” West Bengal police posted on X. “We request all not to heed rumours and keep calm.”

“Mamata Banerjee has completely lost control over large parts of Bengal. Years of unchecked illegal infiltration and deliberate demographic distortion have created zones beyond the reach of the administration,” Malviya posted on X.

"Yet, she continues to shield her vote-bank — her ‘milch cows’ — sacrificing law and order for her own political survival," he added.