Seven cops injured during anti-Waqf Act rally in Tripura

At least seven policemen sustained injuries on Saturday during a clash between the security personnel and the agitators who held a protest rally against the recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act in northern Tripura’s Kailashahar under Unakoti district.

In Manipur, two prominent organisations -- Minorities Students’ Association Manipur (MSAM) and the All Manipur Muslim Students’ Organisation (AMMSO) -- have demanded that Muslim MLAs and others representing constituencies with significant Muslim populations publicly declare their positions on the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

A police official said that the Police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) had to charge batons and burst teargas shells to disperse the crowds, who during the gathering suddenly turned violent and started pelting stones and bricks on the police.

He claimed that before the start of the protest rally, senior police officials requested the leaders of the agitators not to come to the mixed populated and non-Muslim dominated areas and put up barricades between two police stations – Irani and Kailashahar.

He said that police resorted to lathi charge and burst teargas shells after the protesters broke the security barricade to get entry into Kailashahar district town.

“Many violent protesters engaged in a physical brawl with the police personnel,” he said.

He added that they started pelting bricks and stones at the security personnel, which left at least seven police personnel, including sub-divisional police personnel Jayanta Karmakar, injured.

“The protesters, comprising around four thousand men and women, also vandalised a few shops, houses, and public properties, raising slogans against the central and state BJP governments,” he said.

The official added that the protesters raised slogans demanding the repeal of the Waqf (Amendment) Act and allowing the Muslim community to act on Waqf properties without any interference.

He also said that police arrested eight protestors for throwing bricks and stones at the security personnel and lodged a suo-moto case.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Northern Range, Rati Ranjan Debnath and other senior officials led the security personnel to deal with the protests.

Meanwhile, in Manipur, tensions continue to simmer in Manipur as the Minorities Students’ Association Manipur (MSAM) and the All Manipur Muslim Students’ Organisation (AMMSO) have issued a joint statement on Saturday, demanding that Muslim MLAs and others representing constituencies with significant Muslim populations publicly declare their positions on the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

The statement comes amid widespread protests across the state by the Meitei Pangal (Muslim) community, who view the Act as a threat to their religious and property rights.

The statement specifically called out three Muslim MLAs -- Abdul Nasir (Janata Dal (United) Lilong assembly constituency), Sheikh Noorul Hassan (National People’s Party Kshetrigao assembly constituency), and Muhammud Ashabudin (BJP, Jiribam AC).

On April 7, curfew was imposed for an indefinite period in the entire Lilong Assembly constituency in Manipur’s Thoubal district, a day after a mob set the house of the BJP minority morcha’s state President, Muhammad Asker Ali, on fire for supporting the Waqf (Amendment Act).

President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on April 5, as announced by the Law Ministry in a notification on the same day.

The Bill was recently passed by Parliament after intense and lengthy debates in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The law seeks to improve governance by enhancing transparency in property management, streamlining coordination between Waqf boards and local authorities and protecting stakeholders’ rights.