DM Monitoring
NEW DELHI: India deployed federal troops to the eastern state of West Bengal on Sunday following deadly clashes over new legislation governing Muslim charitable land holdings.
Protests erupted in Murshidabad district on Friday against the Waqf Amendment Bill, which critics say targets the country’s Muslim minority. Police confirmed that three people, including a child, were killed in the violence.
“So far, 118 people have been arrested in connection with the violence,” said Jawed Shamim, a senior police official. At least 15 police personnel were injured during efforts to control the crowds, he added.
The state high court ordered the deployment of federal forces to restore order. Protesters had clashed with police, who responded with tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Passed earlier this month, the bill allows greater government oversight of Waqf boards, which manage properties donated for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The government says the move is aimed at boosting transparency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the bill a “watershed moment,” but opposition parties have criticised the legislation as divisive.
“This is an attack on the Muslim community,” said Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi.
“It sets a dangerous precedent to target other communities in the future.”
The Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party has been accused of marginalising India’s 200-million-strong Muslim minority through a series of controversial policies. These include the revocation of Kashmir’s special status and support for the Ram Temple built on the site of a demolished mosque in Ayodhya.
Rights groups and opposition leaders have warned that the latest unrest could escalate further if grievances are not addressed.
Authorities say security has been tightened in sensitive areas of West Bengal, and further protests are being monitored.
Earlier, Muslims across India held widespread demonstrations to protest the Waqf (Amendment) Act, stating that Modi-led BJP government is stripping the community of its rights through legislative changes.
According to Kashmir Media Service, protests erupted in several major cities, including Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Imphal, Jaipur, Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Bhopal.
In Kolkata, hundreds of students from Aligarh University marched from the campus to Park Circus, carrying banners and placards denouncing the Amendments. One placard read, “Constitutional Rights cannot be denied.”
In Manipur, thousands of Muslims rallied across parts of Imphal demanding the immediate repeal of the act and condemning the Modi Government’s move.
In Hyderabad, large-scale protests were held at the historic Mecca Masjid in Saeedabad, and at several other mosques.
Protestors wore black armbands and carried placards calling for the withdrawal of the Waqf act.
The protestors also criticized Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose parties supported the Waqf bill in the Indian parliament.
