Sat Apr 12 05:51:57 UTC 2025: ## Over 110 Arrested After Violent Protests Erupt in West Bengal Over Waqf Amendment Act
**Kolkata, April 12, 2025** – Over 110 people have been arrested following widespread violence in West Bengal’s Muslim-dominated districts of Murshidabad, Malda, South 24 Parganas, and Hooghly, sparked by protests against the new Waqf (Amendment) Act. The unrest, which occurred on Friday, April 11, 2025, involved the burning of vehicles, including police vans, stone-throwing at security forces, and road blockades.
The most severely affected district, Murshidabad, saw 70 arrests in Suti and 41 in Samserganj. Police reported that the situation remains tense but calm as of Saturday morning, with prohibitory orders and internet service suspensions in place in affected areas. Increased patrolling is underway to prevent further unrest, and authorities are urging residents to ignore social media rumors.
One teenage boy, reportedly injured during clashes in Suti, was admitted to a hospital in Kolkata. The BJP has criticized the Mamata Banerjee government’s handling of the situation, suggesting they seek central assistance. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari condemned the violence as a “premeditated act of violence” and called for the strictest possible prosecution of those responsible, highlighting the destruction of public property and intimidation of government officials. He accused “Jihadist forces” of orchestrating the violence. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a challenge to the Waqf law on April 16.
First Piper 