Bengal government has decided to constitute a special cell to investigate incidents of alleged vandalism and arson during protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in 2019, a senior official said on Saturday.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed the state police to review all complaints of damage to public property during the anti-CAA protests, he said.

The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

The implementation of the CAA had triggered protests in several parts of the country, including West Bengal.

"The chief minister has instructed that every complaint relating to damage to government property during the 2019 anti-CAA protests be investigated. A special cell will be constituted for this purpose," the official told PTI.

The protests in West Bengal had reportedly turned violent in some areas, leading to alleged incidents of vandalism, arson and attacks on railway property.

The Railways is expected to assist the investigation, he said.

"The government is also considering recovering compensation from individuals found responsible for damage to public property, if allegations against them are substantiated during the investigation," the official said.