Shrirampur, September 17 (Daily Kiran) : The Calcutta High Court has granted former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee conditional permission to hold a rally at the Shrirampur Court ground on September 26. The court has set a limit of 1,000 attendees for the event.
Justice Sougata Bhattacharya specified that the rally is scheduled to take place from 4 PM to 6 PM. Importantly, the court ruled that no procession or march would be permitted following the rally. Organizers are required to ensure that traffic on the busy Grand Trunk Road remains uninterrupted.
Banerjee’s party, the Trinamool Congress, had initially requested permission for a gathering of around 2,000 party workers in Shrirampur. However, the state government opposed this request, arguing that the Shrirampur Court ground is too narrow. They also pointed out that Banerjee, who receives Z-plus security, requires space to maintain safety protocols. Government lawyers warned that a crowd of 2,000 could lead to a stampede.
In response, Trinamool Congress MP and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee contested the government’s claims, noting that a recent concert at the same venue featuring renowned singer Shreya Ghoshal attracted approximately 50,000 attendees.
After considering arguments from both sides, Justice Bhattacharya approved the rally with the stipulation of a maximum of 1,000 participants.
Previously, Banerjee’s faction had aimed to hold a rally in Shrirampur on September 11, but the matter escalated to the Calcutta High Court following disputes over police permissions. Earlier, the court had allowed her to hold a rally at the Snanpiri ground in Mahesh, but this decision was challenged by the trust board of a nearby Jagannath temple, which argued that the Snanpiri ground is private property and political events there had been previously prohibited.
The High Court’s division bench later referred the matter back to Justice Bhattacharya, who has now granted conditional approval for the rally at the Shrirampur Court ground.
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