Three people were killed in West Bengal鈥檚 Murshidabad district following violent clashes linked to ongoing protests against the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, the police said on Saturday.
118 people have been arrested in connection with the violence that broke out in Muslim-majority Murshidabad district on Friday, reported NDTV.
Among those dead, two were killed in clashes while one man was killed in firing, additional director general (law and order), Jawed Shamim said.
A special bench of the Calcutta High Court has ordered deployment of central forces in Jangipur.
In another development, at least 18 police personnel were injured as a protest rally demanding the rollback of the Waqf (Amendment) Act turned violent in Tripura鈥檚 Unakoti district on Saturday.
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has declared that her state would not implement the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
鈥榃e have made our position clear on this matter - we do not support this law. This law will not be implemented in our state. So what is the riot about?鈥� she said in a post on X.
Her post comes at a time when several pockets in the state, especially in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district, have been on the boil for the last few days over the protests against the Waqf Act.
The chief minister has appealed for peace and harmony, underlining that the law was enacted by the central government. She cautioned against political misuse of religion and warned of legal action against those inciting riots.
MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is Mamata Banerjee鈥檚 nephew, also made an appeal for calm and claimed that some forces are trying to 鈥榮pread unrest in Bengal鈥�.
Several vehicles, including police vans, were set on fire, stones were thrown at security forces, and roads were blocked as violence erupted in Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts during protests over the new legislation on Friday.
Director general of police Rajeev Kumar cautioned the agitators that the state police would not tolerate any attempts to disrupt law and order in the name of the protests.
State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar urged the Trinamool government to strictly enforce the rule of law in Murshidabad.
