On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court denied Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari permission for a four-day sit-in outside the Raj Bhavan to protest the alleged post-election violence against his party workers following the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Justice Amrita Sinha advised Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition, to seek an alternative location for his protest. “The road in front of the main gates of Raj Bhavan cannot be allowed to be obstructed. Just because Trinamool Congress (TMC) protested at that site, you too want to protest there? It cannot be allowed,” Justice Sinha told Adhikari’s counsel, Billwadal Bhattacharyya.
Adhikari had moved the court to challenge the Kolkata Police’s decision to deny him permission for the protest outside the Governor’s residence. He argued that the State Police had previously allowed the TMC to protest at the same site, contending that the law should treat everyone equally.
In response, Advocate General Kishore Datta, representing the State, argued that the decision to disallow Adhikari’s protest was an administrative decision by the Police. The State maintained that just because the TMC was allowed to protest there does not mean the BJP should be allowed as well.
After hearing both sides, the judge instructed Adhikari and the Police to identify an alternative site for the proposed protest. The matter will be heard again on June 21.
