The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted conditional permission for former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to address a political meeting at Mahesh in Hooghly’s Srirampore on September 11. However, the court barred the organisers from holding any procession as part of the programme.
Justice Sougat Bhattacharyya laid down several conditions for the event, including a strict time limit and a cap on the number of attendees.
The Kalighat Trinamool Congress had planned a programme at the Jagannath Deb Snanpiri Maidan in Mahesh, where Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to address a gathering. The party had also sought permission to hold a protest march from Mahesh to Srirampore Court before the meeting.
The proposed procession had led to a dispute with the police, eventually prompting the organisers to approach the High Court.
The police had refused permission for the march, citing concerns over traffic disruption on GT Road. Former Chinsurah MLA Asit Majumdar had approached the authorities seeking permission for the procession.
While the court declined to allow the march, it permitted the meeting subject to specific conditions.
According to the court's directions, the meeting can be held between 1 pm and 3 pm at the Jagannath Deb Snanpiri Maidan. The gathering has also been capped at 2,000 people.
The court made it clear that the organisers must ensure that no statement is made during the programme that could hurt religious sentiments or provoke tension.
The court also directed the state government to deploy adequate police personnel to prevent any untoward incident during the event.
The organisers have further been instructed to submit the names and phone numbers of all volunteers assigned to the programme to the police by 8 pm on Thursday.
