Kolkata, Nov 24: A division bench of the Calcutta High Court has upheld a single bench order allowing a public meeting organized by the BJP and addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 29 in Kolkata.
The division bench, headed by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, dismissed an appeal by the West Bengal government, challenging the November 20 order of the single bench.
The court noted that processions, rallies, and meetings are regular occurrences in West Bengal, particularly in Kolkata. The BJP had approached the high court after the Kolkata Police rejected its application to hold the meeting, claiming that a previous application for November 28 had also been rejected.
Also Read: Termination of 256 Employees in Arunachal Pradesh Over Alleged ‘Forged’ Appointment Letters
The division bench found no grounds to interfere with the single bench order, which granted permission for the public meeting with reasonable restrictions.
The division bench, including Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, emphasized that the single bench order made it clear that the permission granted would be subject to reasonable restrictions. The court observed that there have been instances where rallies, meetings, and agitations were held without obtaining permission.
The state government’s appeal challenging the single bench order was dismissed by the division bench.
The BJP’s petition highlighted the rejection of its application by the Kolkata Police and argued that the rejection of the previous application for November 28 was based on not meeting the stipulated time frame.
The division bench, supporting the single bench’s decision, directed the organizers to abide by the 28 terms and conditions already set out in the application format on the Kolkata Police website.
