President Droupadi Murmu Returns West Bengal's Anti-Goonda Bill Over NDPS Act Conflict

Key facts

• President Droupadi Murmu returned the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, popularly called the 'anti-Goonda' Bill, for reconsideration after the Centre flagged a conflict with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
• The Centre's note said Section 2(d)(iii)(B) of the Bill, which includes NDPS offences in the definition of 'goonda', may overlap with the preventive-detention framework of the PITNDPS Act, 1988 and raise repugnancy under Article 254 of the Constitution.
• The Centre suggested deleting the reference to NDPS Act offences to avoid duplication with the existing Central statutory framework.
• The Bill, introduced in June 2026, defines anti-social activities and 'goonda' and empowers a district magistrate, Commissioner of Police, or an authorised police officer not below DIG rank to direct a 'goonda' to leave a specified area, district or districts and bar entry or return for up to one year.
• On August 6, a Calcutta High Court division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee dismissed three PILs against the Bill as premature since it had not received the President's assent.
• The state informed the high court that the Bill is still awaiting the President's assent, contradicting Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's claims that the 'Goonda Daman Act' had received the Governor's assent and was invoked against accused in the July 24 Esplanade protest march violence.
• A state official said the Bill can be tabled again in the Assembly after amending the conflicting provisions and then resent for Presidential assent.