BHANGAR, April 14 — Supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) clashed with police on Monday at Bhangar in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, leaving several injured and multiple police vehicles torched during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
The confrontation broke out near Bhojerhat on the Basanti Highway after police stopped ISF workers who were en route to a rally at Kolkata’s Ramlila Maidan, where ISF MLA Naushad Siddique was scheduled to address a gathering. Protesters from Bhangar, Minakhan, and Sandeshkhali had assembled in large numbers despite the rally lacking official police permission.
Tensions escalated when ISF supporters tried to breach police barricades, triggering a violent exchange. “Some police vehicles were set on fire by the protesters and a few personnel sustained injuries during the attack,” a senior police officer confirmed.
Police responded with a lathi-charge to disperse the mob. Eyewitnesses reported at least one protester received a head injury. As the clash intensified, ISF activists staged a sit-in on the highway, causing major traffic disruption along the route. A large force, including senior officers, was deployed to restore order, and the protesters were eventually dispersed. Security was tightened across nearby areas.
Addressing the rally later in Kolkata, Siddique condemned the Waqf (Amendment) Act, calling it “unconstitutional” and demanded its immediate withdrawal. “This law is not just an attack on Muslims, it is an assault on the Constitution. We won’t accept this Act. The government that supports such laws must go,” he said.
