2 policemen injured as anti-Waqf Act protest rally in Tripura turns violent

Agartala: Tension prevailed in Kubjhar and a few neighbouring villages along the India-Bangladesh border in Kailashahar of Tripura's Unakoti district on Saturday after a protest rally against the Waqf (Amendment) Act turned violent, leaving two policemen injured.
According to officials, a rally of members of the Muslim community started in Tillabazar and reached Kubjhar to protest the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, demanding its immediate withdrawal.
DIG (northern range) Rati Ranjan Debnath said the protest began peacefully but took an unexpected turn when the demonstrators, who were not authorised to take out the rally, began marching towards Kailashahar town.
"They were expected to return after a meeting. However, the crowd suddenly began moving towards Kailashahar. We had set up barricades to prevent any escalation. A section of the youth clashed with security personnel, attempting to break through the barricades. Soon after, bricks were hurled at the police," Debnath said.
One of the injured policemen was sub-divisional police office officer (SDPO) Jayanta Karmakar.
The protesters also vandalised a few shops, houses and public properties, raising slogans against the BJP govt in the Centre and the state. They raised slogans demanding the repeal of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, the police said.
Md Badruzaman, leader of the protesters, however, denied the allegation of pelting bricks on the police and said, "The SP has misbehaved with the protesters which led to chaos."
"To manage the situation and disperse the mob, we applied mild force and charged batons on the protesters, but it didn't cause any serious injuries to anybody," an on-duty police officer said.
Extra forces have been deployed in the area, he added.
According to reports, various Muslim organisations have launched agitations seeking to roll back the Waqf Act 2025 in India-Bangladesh bordering areas across Tripura for the past few days.
They held small meetings in the streets and on street corners, and during Friday prayer, Muslims wore black badges against the Act in mosques and religious places.