States » EastPosted at: Sep 26 2026 1:26AM


Bill not returned by Prez: Suvendu

Kolkata, Sep 25 (UNI) Dismissing as "fake news" and "baseless" reports that President Droupadi Murmu has returned the anti-goonda bill, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on late Friday night that the proposed legislation was still lying with the union Home Ministry and has not reached her.
"The bill is under the consideration of the union Home Ministry at the Joint Secretary level. It is yet to reach the honourable president," Adhikary said in a media meet at the state secretariat Nabanna.
The chief minister dismissed the media reports as "rumours" and said the bill will receive the presidential assent soon.
"No, this is all baseless, fake news, rumours", the chief minister replied when asked whether the president has returned the bill for reconsideration as it overlapped with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
"We have made detailed queries since the afternoon. The bill is with the union Home Ministry. These sort of rumours are being spread deliberately. There is no problem with the bill," he said at the media meet flanked by senior bureaucrats and police officers.
The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, was cleared by the state Assembly in June.
The chief minister said such legislation exists in states like Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
The "AntiGoonda Act" in Kerala is officially known as the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007 (KAAPA).
The Andhra Pradesh Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Land Grabbers Act, 1986, also gives powers to the state to take into preventive detention habitual offenders so as to maintain public order.
Earlier in the day, replying to newspersons' queries in Burdwan town following reports of the President returning the bill, Adhikari had said: "The state will move forward after examining legal provisions."
"Anti-goonda law exists in four other states. We will work through legal means. There will be no difficulty," he maintained.
Responding to the criticism about the bill, the Chief Minister said, "Let some people say what they want to say. Goons are now scared, that is why they are saying such things. We will handle the rest. The state government will ensure that goons remain in fear and go to jail. Whatever I have said so far has happened, and will happen." UNI SSP SS
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