West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed for calm during her visit to Murshidabad
The Waqf (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday amid violent protests in the state. Banerjee said the law was made by the Centre and answers should be sought from it. "My sincere appeal to people of all religions, please remain calm, remain restrained. Do not engage in any irreligious behaviour in the name of religion. Every human life is precious; do not incite riots for the sake of politics. Those who are inciting riots are harming society," she said in a post on X. Several vehicles, including police vans, were set on fire, stones were hurled at security forces, and roads were blocked as violence rocked Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts during protests over the new legislation on Friday. "Remember, we did not make the law over which many are agitated. The law was made by the central government. So the answer you want should be sought from the central government," the CM said. "We have made
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday expressed gratitude to the chief ministers of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for their "courageous and principled stand" against the Waqf Amendment Act. Mufti, a former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, wrote identical letters to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu's M K Stalin and Karnataka's Siddaramaiah. In a post on microblogging site X, Mufti said, "I have written to @MamataOfficial ji, @mkstalin ji & @siddaramaiah ji expressing heartfelt gratitude for their courageous & principled stand against the Waqf Amendment Bill. In today's India where dissent of any kind is increasingly criminalised their unequivocal voices come as a breath of fresh air." "As residents of Jammu and Kashmir -- the only Muslim-majority region in the country -- we find solace and inspiration in your unwavering stance in these dark and challenging times," Mufti wrote. She also posted
When asked about the situation in violence-hit districts, including Murshidabad, Majumdar alleged that the situation was "grave" and the houses were being "looted"
Over 110 people were arrested in connection with the violence that broke out in the Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district of West Bengal during a protest over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, police said on Saturday. Several vehicles, including police vans, were set on fire, stones were hurled at security forces, and roads were blocked as violence rocked Malda, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts over the new legislation on Friday. Raids were underway in all these districts, with over 110 arrested in Murshidabad, police said. "About 70 people were arrested from Suti, and 41 people from Samserganj in connection with the violence," a police officer said. The situation in these violence-hit places remained tense on Saturday morning, but no untoward incident was reported, officials said. In the worst-hit Murshidabad district, prohibitory orders have been imposed and internet services suspended in places that saw violence, they said. "Patrolling in Suti and Samserganj areas
Adhikari noted that the state administration has sought BSF deployment in Murshidabad to control the situation
Protests against the Waqf Act rocked parts of West Bengal on Friday, as agitators set ablaze vehicles, disrupted vehicular and rail movement, with a few policemen suffering injuries while trying to control the mob, officials said. The demonstrations took a violent turn in Suti in Murshidabad district when the protesters assembled despite prohibitory orders and blocked roads, hurled stones at security personnel, torched police vans and public buses during processions, they said. According to a senior police officer, trouble started when Muslims gathered after Friday prayers and staged protests against the Waqf Act, blocking a stretch of National Highway-12 from Dakbanglo More in Shamsherganj to Sutir Sajur More. "The protests turned violent after the agitators hurled stones at a police van, resulting in a clash in which around 10 policemen were injured," he said. Police had to lathi-charge to bring the unruly mob under control, and later use tear gas shells when some protesters thre
Thousands of teachers, who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court verdict that invalidated their appointments, began a march from Karunamoyee in Salt Lake to the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) Bhawan on Friday demanding the release of their Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets to identify the genuine candidates. Carrying placards demanding reinstatement, the protesters were joined by members of various civil society organisations in a show of solidarity. "SSC should release the copies of the OMR sheets to help segregate the eligible teachers," a demonstrator said. They claimed that the police officer accused of kicking teachers during a previous protest at the DI office in Kasba has now been assigned to investigate the cases registered against them. "What can we expect from such a probe? In no civilised society does an accused investigate the victims," a protester remarked. A large police contingent, including personnel from the Rapid Action Force, was deployed to
West Bengal's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said the governor does not have any authority to summon officers to discuss pending Bills. Chattopadhyay's statement on Thursday came after Governor C V Ananda Bose said he has sought meetings with officers of different departments before approving some Bills that are pending with him. "The Constitution clearly states that the governor does not have the power to indefinitely hold back Bills. If there are legal concerns with a Bill, the governor may write to the government. But nowhere does the Constitution say he can summon officials or hold discussions. I have read the Constitution many times," the minister said. Following a Supreme Court verdict on the matter, Speaker Biman Banerjee said 23 Bills passed by the West Bengal Assembly since 2016 have not received the governor's assent. In a major victory for the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government, the apex court on Tuesday cleared 10 Bills that were stalled and reserved b
The official further said that the situation remains under control even though stone pelting occurred
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tributes to Mahavir, the 24th and last 'tirthankar' in the Jain religion, on his birth anniversary, saying his ideals give strength to countless people all around the world. Modi said his government will always work to fulfil the vision of the reverted holy figure. He noted that the government last year conferred the status of classical language on Prakrit, a decision which received a lot of appreciation. He said, "We all bow to Bhagwan Mahavir, who always emphasised on non-violence, truth and compassion. His ideals give strength to countless people all around the world." "His teachings have been beautifully preserved and popularised by the Jain community. Inspired by Bhagwan Mahavir, they have excelled in different walks of life and contributed to societal well-being," he added.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Jain community in Kolkata, CM Mamata Banerjee said she would always stand by the minority communities and protect their rights
Reportedly, during the protest against the controversial Waqf Amendment Act in Murshidabad, violence broke out on Tuesday
The Supreme Court's stay gives interim relief to the West Bengal government, which was under scrutiny over alleged irregularities in the appointment of staff through the SSC recruitment process
The Supreme Court, in a strongly worded verdict last week, upheld an earlier verdict of the Calcutta High Court invalidating over 25,000 appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff
Indian benchmark indices witnessed the worst crash in 10 months today, as US recession fears spooked global markets triggered by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
The protests come days after the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta HC verdict that invalidated the appointments of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff across state-run and state-aided schools
Calcutta HC allows Howrah Ram Navami rally from 3-5 pm with conditions: no arms or motorcycles permitted; rally must remain peaceful under proper police supervision
The reaction of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came after the Supreme Court cancelled the appointments of 25,753 teachers and staff in government-run and aided schools in 2016
Supreme Court invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and staff at West Bengal schools due to large-scale irregularities