Kolkata rally violence: Bengal Government invokes Goonda Act

2 min readKolkataJul 26, 2026 05:00 AM IST

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the state had, for the first time, invoked its newly enacted anti-goonda law against those accused of orchestrating violence during Friday’s NEET protest, warning they would face punishment “their next three generations will remember”.

Making a statement in the Assembly on Saturday, Adhikari said around 70 people identified from the Dharmatala rally were “not students” and had no connection with the agitation over the alleged NEET paper leak.

According to police, Md Afroz, resident of Metiaburz has been arrested from Andal, and nine others have been detained so far.

Condemning the attacks on journalists during the protest, he said the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-social Activities Act, 2026, – popularly known as the Goonda Act, had been invoked to ensure exemplary punishment for those responsible.

“I censure the attack on our journalist friends on behalf of the entire House. An attack on journalists is unacceptable. We will take such action under the Goonda Act that these goons and even their next three generations will remember it. This is precisely why this law was enacted,” the chief minister said.

Adhikari alleged that as the procession reached Esplanade, shoes and water bottles were hurled first at policemen and then at journalists covering the demonstration.

“They wanted the police to resort to lathicharge and tear gas. They wanted a spectacle. But Kolkata Police did not provide them that opportunity. The restraint shown by the force deserves appreciation,” he said.

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“They have nothing to do with the student movement. They are not students, nor are they members of the organisation that called the programme. They came only to create disorder,” he alleged.

The CM, who visited injured journalists at SSKM Hospital on Friday, said the attack on the media was an issue that “had to be placed before the House”.

Seven complaints have been registered in connection with the violence.

Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
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