The situation spiralled quickly, prompting ISF activists to sit on a protest on the highway, leading to long traffic snarls along the stretch.A large police force, including senior officers, was deployed to bring the situation under control.A high alert was sounded in the nearby areas. The protesters were later dispersed.Addressing the gathering in Kolkata, Siddique criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Act and demanded its 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.ISF also accused the BJP of trying to incite communal tension, and the ruling Trinamool Congress of suppressing opposition protests.”The chief minister has said the new Waqf law will not be implemented in West Bengal. We welcome that. But then why are police stopping our workers from attending a peaceful rally? Does the right to protest belong only to the Trinamool Congress?” he asked.Canning Purba TMC MLA Showkat Mollah, dismissed the ISF as a “party of no consequence.” “They are trying to provoke unrest and create disturbances. They have no mass base,” Mollah alleged.Violence took place in parts of Murshidabad, including Suti, Dhulian, and Jangipur, on Friday and Saturday during protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act.At least three people were killed and several others injured in the violence.Visuals from the affected areas showed charred remains of shops, homes, and hotels.In a bid to calm tempers, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that her government would not implement the Waqf Act in the state.Acting on a petition filed by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, the Calcutta High Court on Saturday directed the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the violence-hit areas to maintain law and order.(With inputs from PTI)
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