President returns Bengal's anti-goonda bill

Kolkata: President Droupadi Murmu has returned the West Bengal government's proposed anti-goonda bill for reconsideration after objecting to a provision which may overlap with a central anti-narcotics law, an official said on Friday.

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.