Kolkata, Sept. 17 -- The Calcutta High Court on Thursday allowed former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to address a Trinamool Congress meeting at Serampore Court Maidan in Hooghly on September 26, capping attendance at 1,000.
The order came on review petitions filed by the Jagannath Jew Trustee Board, owner of the Mahesh Jagannathdev Snanpiri Maidan, and the police against an earlier order permitting the meeting at the privately-owned ground.
Court held that no meeting, rally, dharna or cultural programme could be held on private land without the owner's consent. He accordingly shifted the venue to the public Court Ground at Serampore. TMC sought permission for 2,000 people, but the state cited the cramped venue and security needs, warning of a stampede risk.
The Court directed the inspector-in-charge of Serampore P.S to provide security and ensure the meeting is held peacefully.
While allowing the review petitions, the court said the democratic rights of a political party must be preserved under the Constitution. At the same time, it took into account the practical constraints of holding the programme at the public ground.
The earlier permission for the private ground had been challenged by the state and the trustee board before a division bench.
The appeals were later withdrawn, with the division bench asking the single judge to decide the review petitions by
September 25.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.