Kolkata, Sep 25 West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday rejected reports that President Droupadi Murmu returned the anti-goonda bill to the state government for reconsideration, and said the proposed legislation is currently “under consideration” of the home ministry.
It was reported by a section of the media that the President had returned the bill, after objecting to a provision that may overlap with a central anti-narcotics law.
“This is fake news. It has no basis. The bill has not reached the President and is still with the Home Ministry for its consideration,” Adhikari told a press conference at the state secretariat in the evening.
“We are surprised by this news. We contacted the MHA. No such communication took place,” the CM asserted.
The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, or the anti-goonda bill, was passed in the assembly in June, substantially expanding the state’s powers to tackle organised crime, extortion, illegal mining, cybercrime and public disorder.
Alongside the bill, the assembly had also cleared the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2026, enabling recovery of compensation for damage to public and private property during riots and violent protests.
The chief minister, who was accompanied by senior bureaucrats, said that the anti-goonda bill is “completely crystal clear”, and he is hopeful that it would receive the assent of the President.
“As per custom, one needs to reach the President to get consent for any bill and that is done through the MHA. In this case, there were two parts of this bill. The part which covers ‘Attachment of Property’ has already come into effect in Bengal, and has been slapped on rioting offenders in Asansol,” he said.
Adhikari said the second component of the legislation deals with preventive arrest, while rejecting the use of the term “goonda” in reference to the bill.
“The second part is the ‘Preventive Arrest’. There is no word ‘goonda’ (goon) in the bill; it has been manufactured by journalists,” the CM said.
“This bill is completely crystal clear. We formulated it within our powers as enlisted under Schedule 7 of Article 254(2) of the Constitution,” he asserted.
Referring to provisions in the bill relating to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Adhikari said that states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh had made amendments to the central law to get the assent of the President.
“I assure you again that the bill has two parts. One has already been implemented and the other part will be implemented,” the chief minister said.
Adhikari claimed that those opposing the legislation were deliberately spreading rumours, as they fear its implementation.
“Those who consider themselves goondas… know that under this bill, they will not be able to take law in their hands or misuse power in the coming days,” he said.
“I am confident that we will get the requisite nod of the President. We prepared this bill after considerable research and study. As per our sources, the bill is under consideration in the home ministry at the joint secretary level. Journalists have wasted their valuable time on these reports,” Adhikari said.
Without naming anyone, he also hit out at those who had welcomed news reports of the bill being returned.
“They are showing some joyfulness (over the news) because of fear psychosis. These people know that they are criminals, and for this reason, they are posting (on social media) from their personal verified accounts that ‘it’s a setback for the West Bengal government’,” Adhikari said.
After reports surfaced that the bill was returned by the President, TMC’s Mamata Banerjee faction leader Abhishek Banerjee had criticised the BJP-led central government.
In a post on X, he said, “Double engine on the posters. Reverse gear in governance. Homework returned for correction.
(PTI News)
