Fact Check: President Murmu Did Not Return Bengal Anti-Goonda Bill, claim is fake
Several reports published on September 25 claimed that President Droupadi Murmu had returned the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026 to the state government.
The reports said the legislation had been sent back for reconsideration because of concerns over a provision dealing with offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The claim quickly became a subject of political and public discussion.
However, the PIB Fact Check Unit later described reports claiming that the President had returned the Bill as misleading and false, saying the legislation remains under examination with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The clarification means that the Bill has not been returned to the West Bengal government by the President.
Instead, it remains at the Union Home Ministry, where it is being examined before the next stage of the constitutional process.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also rejected the reports, saying the Bill had not reached President Murmu.
Adhikari said the legislation was still being processed by the Home Ministry and expressed hope that it would eventually receive presidential assent.
The Bill was passed by the West Bengal Assembly in June 2026.
MISLEADING and FALSE Media Reports
❌ Misleading media reports state that the President of India has returned the “West Bengal Anti-Goonda Bill.”
✅ The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India , has clarified that The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social… https://t.co/qEW5EK55cL pic.twitter.com/QmjH5PPjYv
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) September 26, 2026
The reports about the alleged return were linked to provisions concerning people involved in offences under the NDPS Act.
One provision of the proposed legislation seeks to include within the definition of a “goonda” a person who commits, attempts to commit, abets, promotes, finances or facilitates an offence punishable under the NDPS Act.
Earlier reporting said the Centre had raised concerns about a possible overlap between this provision and the existing central framework for preventive detention in narcotics-related cases.
That issue appears to have been the basis for reports that the Bill had been returned for reconsideration.
However, the subsequent clarification from the state government and PIB Fact Check is that the Bill remains under examination with the MHA and has not been returned by the President.
The legislation is formally titled the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026.
It was passed by the state Assembly in June and seeks to expand the state’s legal framework for dealing with activities such as organised crime, extortion, illegal mining, cybercrime and threats to public order.
The Bill also contains provisions relating to preventive detention and restrictions on the movement or entry of people identified as being involved in certain anti-social activities.
Its provisions and their interaction with existing central laws are part of the examination process.
Adhikari held a press conference after reports about the alleged return began circulating.
He said the claim that President Murmu had returned the legislation was baseless and maintained that the Bill was still with the Union Home Ministry.
He also said the state government was confident about the legislation and hoped it would receive presidential assent.
The chief minister was accompanied by senior state officials during the briefing.
According to his account, the Bill was being examined at the Home Ministry level and had not yet reached the President.
The key distinction is between examination by the Home Ministry and return of a Bill by the President.
The available clarification establishes that the legislation is still being examined by the MHA. Therefore, the claim that President Murmu had already returned the Bill to the West Bengal government for reconsideration does not match the clarification issued by PIB Fact Check and the subsequent statement from the state government.
The PIB Fact Check Unit says it verifies claims relating to the Government of India using official and authoritative sources and categorises claims as fake, misleading or true after verification.
Verdict: Misleading/False claim
The claim that President Droupadi Murmu returned West Bengal’s Anti-Goonda Bill for reconsideration is not supported by the latest clarification.
The West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Bill, 2026 remains under examination with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The West Bengal government has also said the Bill has not yet reached the President.
The issue surrounding possible overlap with central narcotics legislation is part of the examination, but that should not be presented as confirmation that the President has returned the Bill.
