NEW DELHI: The protests against Waqf Act, which came into force on Tuesday, turned violent in West Bengal’s Murshidabad with the demonstrators allegedly torching a police vehicle.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya posted videos of the clashes and blamed Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s politics of “Muslim appeasement” for the unrest. TOI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos posted by the BJP leader.
“The West Bengal Police is struggling to rein in the violent Islamist mob rampaging through the streets of Murshidabad—possibly under instructions from home minister Mamata Banerjee herself. Her inflammatory speeches have directly contributed to the current unrest,” Malviya said.
“As a so-called precaution, internet services in the area have been throttled to restrict the flow of information. This is the same region that witnessed repeated attacks on Hindus during the recent Kartik Puja celebrations. Several trains were brought to a standstill as tensions escalated. Mamata Banerjee’s spineless brand of Muslim appeasement is dragging Bengal dangerously close to the path of Bangladesh,” he added.
In another post, he claimed that the mob was chanting, “I do not accept the Constitution, and I never will”.
“Muslim mobs have taken to the streets of Murshidabad, openly calling for defiance of the Constitution in protest against the Waqf Act. (I do not accept the Constitution, and I never will.) West Bengal Home Minister Mamata Banerjee must either wake up and take control of the situation or resign. Enough is enough,” he posted.
Meanwhile, the Bengal CM has rejected the Waqf Act calling it a “divide and rule policy”.
“The jumla party’s only one point agenda is to divide the country. They only believe in divide & rule policy which we don’t. First learn to respect the Constitution and than takeaway someone’s rights,” she had said.
Meanwhile, Manipur also witnessed protests against the Act as the members of Muslim community took to streets condemning the Centre’s move.
Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, seeks to address long-standing challenges in the regulation and management of Waqf properties. Aimed at improving oversight and administrative efficiency, the amendments include renaming the Act, updating key definitions, streamlining the registration process, and integrating technology to enhance the maintenance and transparency of Waqf records across India.
The BJP-led government asserts that the Act will strengthen the administration and oversight of Waqf properties nationwide. However, the opposition has criticized it as a “targeted legislation” that goes “against the very principles of the Constitution.”
