West Bengal CM Defends Public Safety Bill, Says Similar Laws Exist Across Several States
Correspondent Ajay Chowdhury/ 29th June 2026
Kolkata :West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday strongly defended the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, which was introduced for discussion in the State Assembly, asserting that the proposed legislation is aimed at strengthening law and order and is similar to laws already in force in several other states.
Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the previous government had failed to take effective action against anti-social elements and accused it of allowing criminal activities to flourish.
“Before this is implemented, let me point out that the previous government took no action. The people of Bengal have rejected you through EVM. You have managed to form an opposition, but it is not a strong one,” Adhikari said during the debate.
Defending the legislation, he noted that comparable laws have already been enacted under different names in Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand , arguing that the proposed Bill is neither unprecedented nor unique.
The Chief Minister also launched a political attack on the Left Front, alleging that the CPI(M) had institutionalised “goonda culture” in West Bengal’s politics. Referring to the 2001 Assembly elections, he claimed that armed groups, popularly known as “Harmads,” were deployed to prevent democratic political change.
“We witnessed how the CPI(M) introduced goonda culture into Bengal’s politics. In 2001, they deployed Harmads specifically to prevent others from gaining power through democratic means,” he alleged.
The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026 seeks to strengthen the state’s legal framework to curb organised criminal activities and enhance public safety. The proposed legislation is expected to witness extensive debate in the Assembly, with the Opposition raising concerns over its provisions while the ruling government maintains that it is necessary to ensure peace, security and effective law enforcement in the state.
