Public Safety and Anti-Social Activities Control Bill, 2026 passed in West Bengal Assembly. Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta expressed hope that this would usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in the state. Its objective is to end extortion and ‘syndicate raj’.
Kolkata (West Bengal) [भारत]June 29 (ANI): West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta has expressed hope that the West Bengal Public Safety and Anti-Social Activities Control Bill, 2026, which was passed in the state Assembly on Monday, will usher in a new era of peace and meaningfulness in the state. Dasgupta described the move as “historic” and said the bill was approved after detailed debate and cooperation from the opposition.
The BJP leader and minister of state said, “These are very historic decisions that have been taken, and they have been done with detailed debate and with the cooperation of the opposition. And I am hopeful that these will signal a new change in West Bengal’s effort to move towards a more harmonious, peaceful and purposeful society.” The bill, which aims to curb nefarious activities and provide for stringent punishment for anti-social elements, was passed with 176 votes in favor and 41 votes against.
Objective of the bill: End ‘Syndicate Raj’
Earlier, BJP MLA Rajesh Kumar also lauded the passage of the bill and called it a “progressive step” to end the culture of extortion and “syndicate raj” in the state. Speaking to ANI, he said, “This is a very progressive step… The people of Bengal were long waiting for this step to curb the reign of goons. ‘Syndicate raj’ and extortion were rampant here; goons and miscreants used to instigate riots, damage property and run away without facing any consequences. The Public Order Maintenance Amendment Bill now defines such mischiefs,” Kumar said.
Detailing the scope of the new law, Kumar said it targets habitual offenders and those involved in serious crimes under various Central Acts. “It is clear in the guidelines that it applies to persons who have been chargesheeted or convicted under the Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, NDPS Act or the Indian Code of Justice (BNS). The police are taking appropriate action,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen told reporters, “Our MLAs will speak. We have a chief whip and leaders of our legislative party; they will speak on this.”
The primary objective of the new law is to give more powers to the state to curb criminal activities and foil the planning of such crimes. The government said that with the aim of curbing these activities, giving strict punishment to anti-social elements and stopping their conspiracies, it has been considered necessary to bring some provisions in the form of a new bill.
Chief Minister targeted the previous governments
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari accused both Trinamool Congress and CPI-M of political violence. He said similar bills have been introduced in other states also. He said, “Before implementing it, I want to point out that the previous government did not take any action. The people of Bengal have rejected you through EVMs. You have managed to form an opposition, but it is not a strong opposition. This bill has already been introduced under different names in many states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.”
He further said, “We saw how the CPIM introduced ‘goonda culture’ into Bengal politics. In 2001, they had specifically deployed ‘Harmads’ to prevent others from gaining power through democratic means.”
Provision for preventive detention up to 12 months
One of the most important provisions of the Bill empowers individuals to be kept in preventive detention for up to 12 months, if the government feels that such detention is necessary to prevent future anti-social activities. (ANI)
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