Situation in Murshidabad is fully under control, says West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar

Speaking to the media, Kumar said, "The situation is fully under control."

Hindus flee homes to escape Murshidabad violence

Attacked by marauding mobs, Hindus from villages fled in boats and by roads to adjacent district Malda as Islamic violence claimed three lives and destroyed properties in Muslim-majority Murshidabad district reeling under a firestorm of protests against the Centre's Waqf (Amendment) Act.

While 150 people have been arrested so far, according to media reports, several areas of the district continue to remain tense, even on Sunday. The areas affected by violence include Suti, Dhulian, Samserganj, and Jangipur.

Videos from ferry ghats showed hordes of Hindu families, including women, children and elderly, fleeing to the safety of Malda district.

Video footage captured people crossing the river from Dhulian Ferry Ghat in Murshidabad to Parlalpur High School in Kaliachak Block 3 of Malda district.

Among the victims are a father and son who were hacked to death by a violent mob in the remote Jafrabad area of Shamsherganj on Saturday after the village came under attack, police sources told India Today.  Another- a youth- died from a bullet wound, said reports.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the deployment of central paramilitary forces in Murshidabad to restore order following large-scale communal violence across several districts in West Bengal over the Waqf Amendment Act.

The decision came during a special hearing held on a court holiday, after Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari moved a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking urgent central intervention.

Tension broke out in the Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district on April 8, when stones were hurled at police, and their vehicles were torched.

Waqf Law

Earlier, massive protests were held in other parts of the state, including Kolkata, against the contentious changes to Waqf law.

The objective of the Waqf (Amendment) Act is to amend the existing law for regulating and managing Waqf properties.

The violence over the Waqf Amendment Act poses a big challenge for Mamata Banerjee, who is gearing up for Assembly polls next year to return as a fourth-time Chief Minister.

The violence also comes at a time when the state government is facing protests over the job cancellation of 26,000 teachers by the Supreme Court following gross irregularities in the recruitment process.