Calcutta High Court permits BJP-backed rally over rain-related deaths in Kolkata, allowing protest amid Durga Puja carnival while ensuring public safety and minimal disruption to festivities.
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KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has granted permission to a BJP-backed organisation, Khola Hawa, to hold a protest rally on Sunday, addressing concerns over the 12 rain-related deaths that occurred in and around Kolkata last month.
The Kolkata Police had initially denied permission, citing that the rally coincided with the Durga Puja carnival organised by the state government. The carnival, a major annual cultural event in the city, includes immersion processions, tableaux, and festivities, which the police argued could face disruption.
However, a vacation bench of Justice Biswaroop Chowdhury intervened and directed the police to grant permission to Khola Hawa, with some modifications for public safety and convenience. The court stipulated that:
- The rally cannot exceed 3,000 participants.
- It must be held between 2 pm and 5 pm, instead of the originally proposed 4 pm start.
- The route of the rally should be adjusted to avoid disrupting immersion processions and carnival activities.
During the proceedings, Khola Hawa’s lawyer argued that the Durga Puja carnival should not prevent citizens from exercising their constitutional right to protest. The lawyer cited a precedent where the court had allowed a demonstration by a doctors’ forum last year, protesting the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, despite overlapping events.
On the other hand, the state’s legal representatives warned that allowing the rally could pose law and order challenges and create logistical issues for the police, given the ongoing festive celebrations.
