At least three people were killed in Murshidabad, as protest against the WAQF Amendment Act turned into a violent one. More than 110 people were arrested in connection with the unrest in West Bengal's Murshidabad. The protest was going on against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in the Murshidabad district, said a police official. Several vehicles, including police vans, were set on fire, security forces were pelted with projectiles, and roads were blocked as unrest broke out across the Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly districts on Friday over the newly enacted legislation.
Internet Suspended In The Region
Police announced continued operations throughout Murshidabad district where law enforcement authorities arrested more than 110 people. Saturday morning reports from tension-affected regions showed no signs of dangerous incidents to the officials. The authorities enacted restrictions and cut off internet access in areas of Murshidabad district that suffered from the most extensive violence.
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As quoted by Times of India, a police officer said, "About 70 people were arrested from Suti, and 41 people from Samserganj in connection with the violence."
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A teenage boy who got injured during the incident was shifted to the Kolkata hospital for treatment. Most disturbances took place in districts where Muslim populations were substantial. The BJP officially criticized the Mamata Banerjee administration for its management failure by urging the government to seek help from the central government.
Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, mentioned about the incident on his X handle and wrote, "The recent incidents of vandalism at several Railway Stations situated in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, perpetrated by the so-called 'protesters' opposing the passage of the Waqf Act are deliberate acts of destruction, targeting critical Public Infrastructure like Railway Stations which not only disrupt essential services but also pose a serious threat to public safety and national security. I have written a letter to Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Ji; the Hon'ble Minister of Railways, requesting him to hand over the investigation of the multiple incidents of vandalism at the Railway Stations situated in the Murshidabad District of West Bengal, to the National Investigation Agency."
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