The West Bengal government is going to introduce a bill in the Assembly to deal strictly with the cases of public disorder, vandalism and attacks on policemen and public servants. The government will present the West Bengal Public Safety and Anti-Social Activities Control Bill, 2026 in the Assembly on Monday (June 29). Regarding which the opposition is raising questions.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has launched a scathing attack on the state government over the state’s proposed West Bengal Public Safety and Anti-Social Activities Control Bill, 2026. He described it as more stringent than some of the most controversial security laws in the country.
Mahua Moitra’s claim
Speaking to reporters, Moitra claimed that it is more stringent than the Emergency-era MISA and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). He alleged that a person can be detained without trial for up to a year. There are not adequate measures of judicial protection in this. It gives immense powers to the police merely on the basis of suspicion.
Will appear on Monday
In fact, the Subhendu Adhikari-led BJP government in West Bengal is going to introduce the UCC Bill in the state on Monday (June 29) during the ongoing budget session of the Assembly. According to sources, apart from the UCC, the government is also going to introduce two more bills on Monday, the purpose of which is to deal strictly with public disorder, vandalism and attacks on policemen and government employees. BJP leaders say that the purpose of the proposed law is to deal with organized crime, political violence and poor law and order situation which is the legacy of the previous government.
what is the purpose
A new law called the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026 has been brought with the aim of strengthening public safety measures and tackling organized anti-social activities. Officials said the bills were drafted in response to several incidents in which police stations and government offices were targeted by violent mobs.
Under the proposed law, such crimes will be kept in the cognizable and non-bailable category. Also, criminals of organized crimes, their financiers, convicted criminals and persons involved in illegal arms, explosives, narcotics and human trafficking networks will be defined as goons. In this bill, officials can also be given the right to compensate for the loss caused to public and private property by selling the property of convicted criminals.
CM had announced
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while addressing the Assembly, had already announced the government’s intention to bring such a bill. This bill will replace the old law of 1972. This bill has been brought with the aim of strengthening public safety measures and dealing with organized anti-social activities. Officials say that these bills were prepared in response to several incidents in which police stations and government offices were targeted by violent mobs.
what is in the bill
Under the proposed law, such crimes will be kept in the cognizable and non-bailable category. Also, criminals of organized crimes, their financiers, accused criminals and persons involved in illegal arms, explosives, narcotics and human trafficking networks will be defined as goons. In this bill, officials can also be given the right to compensate for the loss caused to public and private property by selling the property of convicted criminals.
The proposed law comes days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced in the Assembly that the government will bring in stringent laws to crack down on criminals. He had said that criminals would not be able to get bail easily and warned that properties related to criminal activities could be confiscated and auctioned.
According to the proposed bill, the objective of this law is to maintain public safety, maintain law and order and prevent organized anti-social activities. The Bill broadly defines anti-social acts as those that create fear among the public, endanger life or property, disrupt public order, illegally occupy property, cause damage to public or private properties, or engage in illegal mining, forest and wildlife related activities that cause financial loss to the government.
The Bill defines ‘goonda’ as a person who habitually indulges in or facilitates anti-social activities, is a member or leader of a criminal gang or syndicate, or against whom a charge sheet has been filed under specified provisions of the Indian Justice Code (BNS), Arms Act, NDPS Act, Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act or Explosive Substances Act.
antisocial activities defined
Under a key provision, the state government is empowered to order preventive detention on the basis of reports submitted by the Superintendent of Police or senior police officers, if it feels that a person may pose a threat to public safety. Generally, such detention can be ordered if the person has been convicted once or a charge sheet has been filed against him in at least three separate cases in the last seven years. However, the government can relax these conditions in exceptional circumstances.
The proposed law also empowers district magistrates and police commissioners to issue detention orders in emergency situations, provided it is approved by the state government within 15 days. Detention orders may remain in effect for up to 12 months after review by an advisory board chaired by a sitting or former High Court judge.
Genocide and property confiscation proposal
Apart from detention, the bill empowers authorities to ban individuals from specific areas for up to a year, impose movement restrictions, mandate periodic reporting to the police and search and seize money, property or documents suspected of being linked to anti-social activities. Violation of such orders will be a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
There is talk in political circles that before introducing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, the government wants to strengthen the legal framework to deal with possible protests and violence in the state. Under this strategy, the state government will first introduce the West Bengal Public Safety and Anti-Social Activities Control Bill, 2026 and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill. If these bills become law, the government will get the right to seize the property of people involved in damaging public and private properties, inciting violence or organized disturbance and recovering compensation from them.
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