[RG Kar Protests] 'Public Life Affected By Illegal Bandhs': PIL Against BJP's Bengal Bandh Rejected By Cal HC

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A bench led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice H Bhattacharyya ruled that the PIL was inadmissible since the petitioner, Sanjoy Das, had previously been prohibited from filing any PILs due to a prior case where exemplary costs were imposed on him.

[RG Kar Protests] 'Public Life Affected by Illegal Bandhs': PIL Against BJP's Bengal Bandh Rejected by Cal HC — [RG Kar Protests] ‘Public Life Affected by Illegal Bandhs’: PIL Against BJP’s Bengal Bandh Rejected by Cal HC

KOLKATA: On Wednesday(28th Aug), the Calcutta High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) aimed at preventing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from holding a state-wide Bengal Bandh.

A bench led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice H Bhattacharyya ruled that the PIL was inadmissible since the petitioner, Sanjoy Das, had previously been prohibited from filing any PILs due to a prior case where exemplary costs were imposed on him.

The BJP’s Bengal unit has announced a 12-hour Bangla Bandh today(on August 28) as a form of protest against what they describe as “atrocities by police on students.” These students were demonstrating in response to the recent rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital, an incident that has sparked widespread outrage across the state.

The PIL, filed by advocate Agnish Basu, contends that such bandhs disrupt the daily lives of ordinary citizens.

According to the petition, the aim of the PIL is to ensure that –

“Ensure that illegal bandhs called by political parties do not disrupt the daily lives of ordinary citizens.”

The advocate argues that the bandh, called by the BJP, has the potential to severely disrupt public life and infringe upon the rights of the general populace.

The protest take a massive turn after a series of student protests that escalated into chaos in Kolkata and Howrah on August 27. The protests were part of a ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ march, organized by students who were angered by the handling of the doctor’s case.

The march, which aimed to reach the Bengal Secretariat, led to significant unrest as police forces clashed with demonstrators. The situation became increasingly volatile, resulting in widespread disruption across key areas in the city.

In light of these events, the BJP announced the bandh as a means to draw attention to the perceived mishandling of the situation by the state authorities. The party’s leadership has been vocal in their criticism of the police’s actions during the protests, accusing them of excessive force and repression.

The PIL, however, challenges the legitimacy of the bandh, arguing that such political actions should not come at the cost of public convenience and safety. The petition highlights the need for a judicial intervention to “restrain any unlawful assembly or bandh that could paralyze the normal functioning of the state.”