The Calcutta High Court denied the BJP permission to protest outside Nabanna over alleged interference in the ED’s I-PAC raids, citing security concerns. The party has been allowed to demonstrate at a nearby location and plans to challenge the order.
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KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court refused permission on Thursday to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hold a demonstration in front of the West Bengal state secretariat, Nabanna, while allowing the party to conduct a sit-in protest at the Mandirtala bus stand, located approximately 600 metres away.
The proposed protest, scheduled for Friday from 10 am to 4 pm, is to be led by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and attended by 50 BJP MLAs. The demonstration aims to protest alleged interference by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state machinery in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) investigation.
The matter arose after BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh, representing Siliguri, approached the Calcutta High Court seeking permission to hold a demonstration directly in front of Nabanna, which houses the office of the Chief Minister.
According to the petitioner, the protest was intended to highlight alleged obstruction by the West Bengal government, including the Chief Minister, in the ED’s probe related to an alleged coal pilferage scam. The ED has claimed interference during its search operations conducted on January 8 at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and at the residence of its director, Pratik Jain.
Court’s Observations and Directions
Justice Suvra Ghosh, while declining permission to protest in front of Nabanna, allowed the BJP to hold the sit-in at Mandirtala bus stand for the same duration, subject to strict conditions.
The court directed that:
- The number of participating MLAs is restricted to 50
- The protest must not obstruct public movement or traffic
- Adequate police deployment must be ensured to prevent any breach of the peace
Justice Ghosh also noted that on earlier occasions, the Calcutta High Court had similarly denied permission for demonstrations in and around Nabanna and had redirected protestors to Mandirtala bus stand.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner argued that MLAs are public servants and emphasized that the freedom of assembly and the right to hold public meetings are essential components of a democratic system.
However, the state government opposed the plea, contending that the Nabanna area is a high-security zone. The state cited a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Howrah Police Commissioner on September 9, 2025, which permits public meetings only at designated locations such as:
- Mandirtala bus stand
- Under the Bankim Setu flyover
- Santragachi bus stand
These locations fall outside the restricted security zone surrounding Nabanna.
Reacting to the court’s decision, Suvendu Adhikari stated that the BJP would move the division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday, challenging the single bench order.
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