BJP State Unit in Kolkata Approaches High Court After Police Deny Permission for Sit-In Protest Against Alleged Sexual Harassment and Violence
Kolkata: The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought legal recourse after Kolkata Police denied permission for a sit-in protest scheduled from February 27 against the reported incidents of sexual harassment and violence against women in Sandeshkhali. The BJP’s petition to the Calcutta High Court challenges the police decision, labeling it as arbitrary.
In its plea, the BJP argues that the refusal of police permission for the sit-in protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in central Kolkata is unjustified, especially since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently conducted two rallies at the same location with police support. The matter is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday.
On July 25th, a team of six members from an independent fact-finding committee, led by former Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, L Narasimha Reddy, was halted by police while on route to the troubled Sandeshkhali area in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. Their aim was to investigate alleged incidents of atrocities against women.
Due to the imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in parts of Sandeshkhali, senior police officers deemed it imprudent to allow the committee access to the area, even in small groups of four to five individuals. As a result, their convoy was stopped at the Bhojerhat area, approximately 52 km away from the riverine area, along the Basanti Highway.
Earlier, Amit Malviya, the BJP’s IT Cell Chief, hinted at legal action against the denial of police permission. The police cited the prohibition of loudspeakers at the proposed protest site as one reason for denying permission. Malviya plans to include protesting women from Sandeshkhali in the rally.
The BJP’s move to challenge the police decision underscores the escalating tension surrounding the issue of women’s safety and the right to protest in Kolkata.
