Kolkata, May 2 (). A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday allowed the West Bengal State Coordination Committee, a state government employees’ union affiliated to the CPI(M), to hold a secretariat march on Thursday. The employees unions are demanding enhanced dearness allowance and payment of arrears.
Justice Rajasekhar Mantha, after a two-round day-long hearing, gave the permission on Tuesday afternoon and asked the state government the reason for not giving permission for the rally.
The state government argued in the court that since the route of the rally proposed by the trade union body is crowded, the procession could lead to traffic jams and inconvenience to commuters for a week. The state government also argued that it had agreed to the rally on an alternate route.
Accepting the state government’s argument, Justice Mantha asked whether the police were not apprehensive of similar inconveniences due to the rallies taken out by the ruling party.
Justice Mantha said, my question is whether the restrictions you are talking about will be applicable in case of rallies of the ruling party? Doesn’t the police face such inconveniences when political rallies take place on the busy Red Road and block the traffic of the entire city. Does the police not find it a problem in that case?
Also, he suggested the West Bengal State Coordination Committee to change the route of the rally. According to him, the rally should be completed between 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Justice Mantha questioned why the protesters would have to approach the court every time for permission to protest. He said, it is the democratic right of every Indian citizen to protest peacefully. In this particular case the protestors are state government employees. The state government can certainly impose some restrictions, but certainly cannot stop the protest programmes.
SGK/ANM
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