Darjeeling MP appeals Bengal CM to cancel April 15 protest rally against Waqf Act in Siliguri

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has formally appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to cancel the permission granted for a protest rally by Noor-e-Mujassam, which is scheduled to take place in Siliguri on April 15, 2025. In a press statement, Bista expressed deep concern over the potential for unrest and violence citing recent disturbing trends in protest-related activities.

According to the MP, the rally is being organised under the pretext of opposing the Waqf Amendment Act. However, he warned that the protest could take a dangerous turn, as the group in question; Noor-e-Mujassam has a record of using inflammatory and communal rhetoric. Bista said that during a previous rally held on September 15, 2024, the group’s members had delivered speeches that included anti-national comments and derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also alleged that they had promoted ideas encouraging jihad, which, he said, threatens the fabric of national unity.

Bista said that credible sources have informed him about the large-scale mobilisation of people from outside Bengal who are being brought in to participate in this protest. He said this raises serious concerns, especially since the local population has not shown any strong organic opposition to the Waqf Amendment Act. Referring to the 2011 Census, he said that Muslims make up only 5% of the population in the Darjeeling district and that the local Muslim community is known to be peaceful and moderate.

The MP also recalled the gruesome murder of Hargobind Das and his son Chandan Das in Dhulian, located in Murshidabad district, as a recent example of the risks posed by unchecked radical mobilisation. He said that given the region’s strategic importance, especially the Chicken Neck corridor which connects the northeast to the rest of India; it is crucial to maintain law and order and prevent any act of violence or provocation.

In his statement, Bista urged the Chief Minister to act responsibly in the interest of public peace. He said that citizens in Siliguri, the Darjeeling hills, the Terai and the Dooars are already worried and that strong steps must be taken to reassure them. He added that flag marches by security forces in sensitive areas could help build confidence among the people and deter any attempts at creating disturbances.

The rally, if allowed to proceed, could pose a serious threat to communal harmony and public order, Bista said. He said that while peaceful protests are a part of democracy, events driven by external elements with divisive agendas must not be allowed to take place in such a sensitive region.