Normalcy has gradually returned to Bhangar in the South 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal, after a violent protest on Monday led to the arrest of 16 individuals.
The unrest, reportedly involving supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), erupted during a planned rally against a recent amendment to the Waqf Act. Until yesterday, nine persons had been arrested.
Of the 16 now arrested by the Kolkata Police, 12 originate from Uttar Kashipore, three from Hatishala, and one from the Chandneswar police station area. Authorities claim to have identified more individuals through CCTV and video footage.
According to police sources, the trouble began when ISF supporters, en route to a rally in Kolkata that lacked official permission, were stopped by police on Bhangar’s Basanti Highway. Allegedly, protesters attempted to breach police barricades near Bhojerhat, resulting in clashes and a subsequent lathi-charge by the police.
Later, news of the highway incident reached Shonepur Bazar, where residents were gathered to discuss the Waqf bill. Eyewitnesses alleged that a confrontation between police and protestors escalated, leading to stone pelting, damage to property, and the torching of five motorbikes outside the Shonepur Hat Jame Masjid.
Residents and community leaders, including Mohammad Alauddin, the Muezzin of the Masjid, have condemned the violence while also expressing their opposition to the Waqf Act amendment.
Shopkeepers in Bhangar have begun to reopen their establishments under a significant police presence. Md Khalique Ansari, former vice-president of the West Bengal State Minority Cell, has appealed for peace while supporting the right to democratic protest. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the unrest.
“It is their government and they have passed the bill. At no cost should people indulge in arson, violence and damaging properties. It is your right to protest, you can. The government at the Centre is there today, it might not be there tomorrow. We all have been appealing to people to maintain peace,” said Ansari.