The CPM on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court, joining the list of political parties that have questioned the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and termed it unconstitutional.

"Yesterday (Monday) I was in Murshidabad and therefore today (Tuesday), on behalf of the party, I as an applicant have moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Centre's waqf Act," Salim told reporters.

He also demanded a judicial probe by a sitting judge of the high court into the violent incidents that rocked Murshidabad since last week.

While condemning the violent protests over the waqf Act, Salim, who on Monday visited the homes of the three persons killed in the recent communal violence in Samserganj and Suti of Murshidabad, said the battle against the central law had to be fought within the parameters of the Constitution and in a "secular, democratic form".

Blaming both the TMC and the BJP for provoking the violent incidents in Murshidabad that spiralled out of control and led to the deaths of three persons, Salim questioned chief minister Mamata Banerjee's silence when leaders of the saffron camp as well as those from her party were "giving hate speeches".

"When leaders of the BJP and the Trinamool are giving hate speeches, I ask why is the police not taking suo moto legal action against the offenders? Why is the chief minister not taking action against those giving hate speech? The two parties are complementing each other and I demand the police take legal action against the hate-mongers," Salim said.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has attacked Salim for claiming that CPM party members — Haragovind Das, 72, and his son Chandan Das, 40 — were killed in Samserganj's Jafrabad for "resisting" the rioters, not for their Hindu identity.

Questioning Adhikari for saying that what Salim said did not match the family members' description of the incident, the CPM veteran asked: "Has anyone seen the FIR?"

"I visited their home yesterday (Monday)," Salim said. "Haragovind was our polling agent even in the last Lok Sabha polls. The family told me that the police were yet to give them the FIR.... They (Adhikari) are peddling lies. The father and son were resisting the rioters from entering their home by trying to hold on to the closed door. That is when the door was broken and the rioters murdered them."

Pointing to BJP's communal propaganda, Salim said it showed that the CPM was right in demanding a judicial probe by a sitting HC judge.

"A probe by a sitting high court judge will bring out the truth about what has happened in Murshidabad. Do the BJP and the Trinamool have the courage to demand it? There cannot be a police or administrative probe because there are allegations against them...," he said.

"There have been similar incidents in the past and the CM did not carry out a probe into any of these incidents. An impartial judicial probe can identify the accused persons, how and why the incidents happened. The probe will help to avert such incidents from recurring," Salim added and demanded compensation for the riot victims.

"As part of their setting, the Centre will not act against Mamata (Banerjee) and Abhishek (Banerjee). Similarly, the state government will not take action into the communal crimes of the BJP," Salim alleged.

He also said the CPM would raise funds from people to support the families of those killed in the violence.