There is a ruckus in West Bengal regarding ‘Public Safety Bill, 2026’. TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh called it a violation of constitutional rights. At the same time, BJP has welcomed the bill and termed it as the need of the hour. This bill was passed with majority in the assembly.
Kolkata (West Bengal) [भारत]June 29 (ANI): TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh on Monday expressed serious concern over ‘The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026’. He said the new law was “completely contradictory to constitutional rights” and that existing laws were already adequate to deal with the crime.
TMC MLA raised questions on Bengal Public Safety Bill
Ghosh told reporters, “Everyone wants the suppression of hooliganism, but we already had the IPC and CrPC, and now we have the new codes (BNS/BNSS). The police and investigating agencies already have all the necessary rules and legal sections. The bill introduced by the Chief Minister is completely contradictory to the constitutional rights, especially the rights given to an accused person and a citizen.”
This bill, aimed at curbing anti-social activities and providing strict punishment for anti-social elements, was passed on Monday with 176 votes in favor and 41 votes against. Ghosh alleged that the government used its majority to pass the law despite significant “flaws” instead of building consensus on legal soundness. “It has significant flaws, but since they have the majority… they simply used their numerical strength to pass the bill,” he said.
Kunal Ghosh also spoke on UCC
Apart from the Public Safety Bill, Ghosh also spoke on the Chief Minister’s announcement regarding the state-level Uniform Civil Code (UCC). He stressed that the process will be inclusive and a dedicated committee will monitor it. Ghosh said, “With regard to the UCC, the Chief Minister has given a statement today. The draft Bill is to be tabled in the Cabinet, and a committee is to be formed. Our leadership is completely overseeing it. The Chief Minister has said that if anyone has something to say, they can speak before the committee. Everyone’s views should be considered, and any new rules should ideally be adopted unanimously.”
BJP welcomed the bill
Meanwhile, lauding the passage of the bill, BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tiwari described it as the “need of the hour” and expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for the move. Tiwari told ANI, “It was very necessary. It is the need of the hour. It has already been implemented in many states, and now it is happening here. We thank our Chief Minister for bringing such an act… The goons and anti-social elements will now be under control.”
BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh also welcomed the move and said that this law will pave the way for economic prosperity. He said, “Bengal will become a hub of trade; it will be a state of peace and prosperity… If this bill is implemented, entrepreneurs and investors will naturally be attracted here… People involved in ‘cut money’ and scams will leave their homes.”
Supporting the passage of the bill, Ritesh Tiwari said that this law will break the “guts” of mafias. Speaking to ANI, he said, “This is excellent. It will help in curbing the goons and scoundrels roaming everywhere, the mafias that control everything from politics to business. Such people will be demoralized while the morale of ordinary, law-abiding citizens will be boosted. This bill will prove to be important in establishing the rule of law in Bengal.”
Why did the government introduce the new bill?
The newly passed bill aims to provide enhanced powers to the state administration to curb anti-social activities and neutralize criminal conspiracies, which the government argues was necessary as previous laws had become “ineffective”.
In the objects and reasons of the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, the government said it felt the need for a new legal framework, as the existing provisions were inadequate to deal with organized anti-social elements. The government said it has been observed that certain sections of the society are indulging in anti-social activities, which are posing a serious threat to the life and property of genuine citizens of the state. The provisions of existing acts and rules were found ineffective and inadequate to combat these types of dangerous activities.
The primary objective of the new law is to provide more power to the state to curb criminal activities and disrupt the planning of such crimes. “With a view to curbing these activities, giving strict punishment to anti-social elements and stopping their conspiratorial plans, it is considered necessary to bring certain provisions in the form of a new bill,” the government said.
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