'We faced stones, petrol bombs': BSF DIG says 'situation tense but under control' in Murshidabad

NEW DELHI: Anti-Waqf law rioters had hurled petrol bombs and stones at Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, a senior officer of the border guarding force said on Sunday.

According to Nilotpal Kumar Pandey, BSF's DIG and PRO (South Bengal Frontier), the situation remains tense but is under control.

Pandey told news agency ANI, "The situation became serious yesterday. There were regions in Murshidabad's Samserganj area where our teams were attacked with petrol bombs and stones. None of our soldiers were seriously injured in the attack. However, one is bound to get small cuts and injuries when they are subjected to such a heavy barrage of stones."

The attackers, he stated, "were the same individuals who have been making the whole situation tense."

Further, the DIG noted that the force has deployed as many as nine companies in Murshidabad's Suti and Samserganj following violence during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

He said, "When the situation became tense in the two areas on Friday, we mobilised our troops on the request of the administration. The next day, we added more troops. The order came from the administration itself. At that time, only two companies had been deployed because we had to respond immediately. People are scared."

Murshidabad violence

Three people were killed in Murshidabad following violent clashes linked to protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025, the police said on Saturday.

West Bengal Police have arrested 150 individuals in connection with the violence. According to an official statement, adequate forces have been deployed in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, Suti, and other affected areas to maintain order.

Also on Saturday, a special bench of the Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces "immediately" in Murshidabad in the wake of widespread violence in the district during the agitation against the Waqf Act.