Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday firmly declared that the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, will not be implemented in the state, asserting her government’s commitment to unity and communal harmony.
Speaking at a Jain community event in Kolkata, Banerjee assured that her administration would not support any law that promotes division, emphasizing, “Live and let live. All religions coexist in Bengal. Our goal is unity, not division.”
Mamata Banerjee on Waqf Issue
_I want to tell minorities – we know that you are pained over the Waqf property matter. Have faith, nothing of any sort will happen in Bengal that will allow “divide and rule.” Give a message that we will all live together – Live And Let Live. There… pic.twitter.com/YNkipraHjn
— Kamalika Sengupta (@KamalikaSengupt) April 9, 2025
Her comments came amid ongoing protests in Jangipur, Murshidabad—home to a significant Muslim population—where demonstrators opposed to the Act clashed with police, torched vehicles, and blocked NH-12 with burning tyres. Security forces responded with lathicharge and tear gas to control the situation.
Banerjee, also chairperson of the Trinamool Congress, reiterated that the controversial law could be revised in the future under a non-BJP government, and urged communities to remain united despite political tensions.
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, passed by Parliament last week and signed by President Droupadi Murmu, came into effect on April 8, sparking unrest in parts of Bengal.
