The Calcutta High Court on Monday stayed Trinamool Congress’s proposed programme of “gheraoing” the residences of the BJP leaders on August 5.
While addressing the party’s annual “Martyrs’ Day” rally on July 21 this year, Trinamool Congress’s national general secretary and the party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee announced the agitation programme to prevent the BJP leaders from stepping out of their residences during that period.
Later in her speech, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that this demonstration should be conducted at a distance of 100 meters from the residences of the BJP leaders.
The “gherao” call was given as a mark of protest against the Union government’s decision to hold back dues to the West Bengal government under different centrally sponsored schemes.
A public interest litigation was filed at the Calcutta High Court in the matter. After hearing the matter this morning, a division bench of Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya stayed the scheduled programme on grounds that such agitations could cause immense inconvenience and even threaten the safety of the common people residing in those areas.
It also observed that the proposed agitation programme is against public interest. Justice Sivagnanam also questioned the state government counsel whether any administrative action has been initiated.
The Chief Justice appeared displeased over the reply that since it was just an announcement the administration had not initiated any actions. “If tomorrow anyone says that there will be a gherao of Calcutta High Court will there not be any administrative action? Will the police not act if someone informs them that a bomb has been implanted there? It is unfortunate that the state government is unable to ensure the safety of the common people,” the Chief Justice observed.
The “gherao” call attracted scathing criticisms not just from the opposition parties in the state but also from sections of civil society and the human rights groups.
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