Kolkata, Sept. 10 -- political meeting of the Trinamool Congress in Serampore, which was to be attended by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday, has been postponed after the West Bengal government challenged a Calcutta High Court single bench order permitting the programme.
The state's appeal is expected to be heard by the Chief Justice on Friday.
The state moved an appeal against the order of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, who had allowed TMC leader Asit Mazumder to hold a meeting instead of a rally at Mahesh Jagannath Dev's Snanpiri Maidan between 1pm and 3pm, with up to 2000 participants.
Mazumder had initially sought permission for a rally of around 5000 people from the maidan to the Serampore court. Police opposed the proposed route through GT Road, citing concerns over traffic disruption and the presence of essential establishments, including a hospital and five schools. The state had suggested Delhi Road as an alternative.
During Thursday's hearing, Mazumder's counsel referred to a programme held by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari from Dhakuria to Jadavpur 8B during working hours. The court, however, said it had to balance the authorities' concerns with the organisation's democratic rights.
Senior advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay argued that political parties had previously been permitted to hold rallies on GT Road and alleged that restrictions were being imposed when programmes involved the Mamata Banerjee faction of the TMC.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.