After police refused permission, the Calcutta High Court today allowed the RSS to hold a programme, which is to be attended by its supremo Mohan Bhagwat, here tomorrow but with some conditions.
Justice Joymalyo Bagchi said the programme scheduled to be held from 2 PM to 6 PM can be held at Brigade Parade Ground in the heart of the city subject to some restrictions including a cap of 4,000 on the number of attendees.
The High Court also issued a notice to Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar for withholding information about their rejection of permission to the RSS. It asked him to file a reply within two weeks. Kumar has been asked to reply to the RSS.
The meeting will be held at Brigade Parade Ground which is one of the largest venues for public meetings in the country.
This is the second instance in a week when the court allowed public meetings by the RSS after permission was denied by police and civic authorities. BJP had to obtain from the high court permission for “sansad mela’ in Asansol, the approval for which was denied by the Asansol Municipal Corporation that is run by Trinamool Congress. It will be inaugurated by BJP MP Babul Supriyo.
Kolkata Police had also denied permission to a rally by BJP chief Amit Shah on November 2, 2014, and BJP had to get the green light from Calcutta high court.
The court orderd that no outsiders, except the invitees shall be present in the rally.
Bhagwat’s rally should be held between 2-6 pm, with huge amount of police personnel deployed at the venue, the court further said.
The city wing of the RSS has planned a rally on the occasion of its chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to the city.
The HC order comes after the Kolkata police on Thursday told RSS that it cannot give permission for a rally on January 14 and asked them to fix an alternative date.
Reacting to police’s order, BJP’s West Bengal state President Dilip Ghosh had accused the state’s Trinamool Congress government of doing “dirty politics” over the venue of the RSS rally in the city.
Earlier, the Kolkata Police had denied permission to the RSS’ two-day ‘Hindu Sanmelan’ scheduled for January 14 in the city. The RSS chief is the key speaker at the event.
