The Bengal government will introduce a “strict” bill during the ongoing budget session of the Assembly to make protesters pay compensation for damaging public or private property or obstructing police and government officials from discharging their duties.
“We will bring in a new bill in the budget session to recover compensation from those who damage public or private property, or attack police or government officers to prevent them from discharging their duties,” chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said at Nabanna on Friday.
“I cannot reveal anything more on this as the bill should be tabled in the House first.”
He added that it would be a “korah” (strict or stringent) bill.
A senior official said the new bill was expected to make it easier for the government to bring in the charge of “anti-national activities” against protesters who damage property or attack government officials.
“It’s tough to press charges of anti-national activities under the BNS for attacking the police or government officers,” he said.
“The BNS has two sections — 221 and 132 — relating to such activities (obstructing or attacking public servants). They do have provisions for imprisonment and fine, but it’s tough to press and establish the charge of anti-national activity for such actions under the BNS.”
Suvendu, though, did speak of invoking the charge of “anti-national activities” under the BNS against people who — led by the wife of Jahangir “Pushpa” Khan, an associate of Trinamool No. 2 Abhishek Banerjee — allegedly gheraoed a police station in Falta, South 24-Parganas, on Tuesday.
They were seeking the release of Jahangir, the Trinamool candidate from Falta who had informally pulled out of the contest days before the fresh election of May 21, held after complaints of malpractices against him during the April 29 polling.
“Some people led by the wife of a criminal had gathered in front of Falta police station on July 16 and tried to attack the police and central force jawans,” the chief minister said.
“But they could not do anything as the police and central force jawans chased them away. A total of 25 people were arrested in this connection, and 12 of them are in police custody while the remaining 13 are in judicial custody.”
Apart from prosecuting the accused under the BNS for anti-national activities, “we will recover compensation by auctioning their properties”, Suvendu said.
In 2023, the then Trinamool government had enacted the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act, which allows authorities to confiscate assets of people who damage public or private property so that compensation can be recovered for the victims and the stateexchequer.
A government official said the new, “strict” law would “link damage to properties and attacks on officers in a single act so that stricter charges can be pressed against the protesters”.
Suvendu tried to dissuade those laying siege to the homes of Trinamool leaders, alleging atrocities or demanding the return of cut money, saying the government would bring these politicians to book.
His warning comes against the backdrop of the recent murder of a BJP supporter, Prasanta Dey, who had with several others gheraoed a panchayat upapradhan, Mafijul Islam, at Bagnan in Howrah.
“The upapradhan attacked the mob with his supporters, in which Prasanta died and five others were seriously injured. The government is taking care of the injured and has given a total compensation of ₹9 lakh to the victim’s family,” Suvendu said.
“But I would request you all not to visit the homes of Trinamool leaders. If you have complaints, the police will take action, like we arrested a former MLA from Karnataka on Friday.”
A Bengal police team had travelled to Karnataka to arrest former Tarakeswar MLA Ramendu Singha Roy of Trinamool, who faces charges of extortion and the theft of relief materials.