Kolkata, April 16 -- Amid two recent incidents of violence related to protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act - which has seemingly turned into a political flashpoint with the ruling TMC alleging BJP's attempts to exploit the unrest for political gain - the state police have been commendable in swiftly containing the situation.
Their timely action helped prevent the unrest from escalating into a larger, statewide crisis, felt experts.
Now, the police are also working to determine whether the unrest was spontaneous or fueled by instigation.
While a Special Investigation Team (SIT) officially began probing the Murshidabad violence on Wednesday, officers previously handling the cases had already uncovered several indications suggesting the mob may have been provoked.
Before the violence erupted, concerns over the Waqf (Amendment) Act were amplified through WhatsApp rumours, fake social media accounts, and mass mobilisation efforts-spreading fear and creating a sense of insecurity among the public.
Since the outbreak of violence on April 8, police have taken strong action, blocking nearly 1,100 social media accounts and arresting around 270 individuals so far.
The first signs of the violence cropped up on April 8, when two police vans were torched during a protest rally.
In the following days, police launched a crackdown on the accused and suspended Internet services, along with enforcing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS. Despite these measures, the situation worsened on April 11, as fresh violence erupted in Samserganj and Suti, severely disrupting transport systems, including Railway services. For several hours, road connectivity between South and North Bengal was effectively brought to a standstill.
This apart, two persons were hacked to death in Jafrabad. However, in almost all the cases of violence police and district administration had witnesses that a series of fake news and information were spread through the social media accounts.
Similar to the violence in Murshidabad, police vehicles were vandalised and torched in Bhangar in the same style while protesting against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
However, due to the prompt police action the situation was under control within 24 hours and gradually became peaceful.
In both the cases cops are yet to ascertain whether the protest was unprompted but the protestors were later made to attack the cops, or the entire event was staged to cover the acts done by a specific number of people or group.
Meanwhile, as BJP leaders attempt to leverage the incident for political advantage, it remains to be seen whether the saffron camp can translate their efforts into gains ahead of the 2026 elections. On the other hand, the TMC is expected to highlight the administration's effective handling of the sensitive situation
as a key achievement.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.