Why Bengal’s proposed detention law should worry more than criminals

Among the first major legislative moves of West Bengal’s new government after coming to power, the public safety and public order bills, have sent a troubling message. The state wants wider powers to detain, control and penalise people in the name of law and order.
One bill particularly, the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026, has come in for criticism from social activists and legal experts. The bill gives authorities sweeping powers to detain people with a history of “anti-social activities.”