Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction told the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday that if it is barred from holding its July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally outside Victoria House at Esplanade, it be allowed to hold the event in front of the Birla Planetarium in south Kolkata, PTI reported.
Moving the prayer for permission for the July 21 Martyrs’ day rally before the court of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, counsel Kalyan Banerjee said the faction has held the rally at Victoria House since 1993 under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, with only two or three exceptions. He proposed alternate locations including the Metro channel or Dorina crossing at Esplanade.
Justice Bhattacharyya indicated he would not allow the rally at Victoria House, saying it would block the major thoroughfare of Chittaranjan Avenue in central Kolkata.
Kalyan Banerjee pointed out that police had already authorised two separate events for July 21 — one by the rival TMC faction at Mayo Road, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue, and another by the Congress at Shahid Minar ground.
The petition from the Mamata Banerjee faction contests a prohibitory order imposed by Kolkata Police under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) around Victoria House in Esplanade. He suggested the Metro channel or Birla Planetarium as alternatives, noting the Birla Planetarium site lies roughly a couple of kilometres from the other two rallies.
Banerjee also reminded the court that 13 Congress workers were killed during a July 21, 1993 rally when Mamata Banerjee led the Youth Congress, and that the date has since been commemorated as Martyrs’ Day.
On the court’s query about numbers, the lawyer estimated a turnout of 15,000–20,000 people.
Advocate General Surojit Nath Mitra said the police were not unwilling to grant permission but preferred the procession be held at a different venue.
The bench asked why a third rally could not be allowed in the vicinity if adequate security arrangements are made, and adjourned the hearing to 12:30 pm on Wednesday for the Advocate General to present the government’s position on the proposed alternate sites.
