The Calcutta High Court on Monday restrained the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s plan to gherao Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders’ home on 5 August. The programme was announced by TMC MP and General secretary of the party Abhishek Banerjee on 21 July during the ‘Shahis Diwas’ rally in Kolkata.
During the 21 July Martyr’s rally in Kolkata, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee had announced that TMC would gherao BJP leaders’ houses in Kolkata on 5 August.
Petitioner Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in West Bengal assembly, claimed that while TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called for the gherao from the TMC’s July 21 rally, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vetted the call in her speech from the same dais.
The Calcutta HC Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed the respondents to file affidavits in support of their contention against the PIL by Adhikari within 10 days, and said that the matter will be heard again after two weeks.
“The respondents and all concerned are restrained from any such protest or gheraoing or blocking of traffic, inconveniencing the general public on August 5,” a division bench presided by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed.
Abhishek Banerjee had on 21 July asked TMC workers to prepare a list of BJP leaders names whose houses would eb gherao-ed on 5 August. He cited Centre’s decision to withhold ₹1.15 lakh crore due to Bengal under multiple central schemes for the protest.
Other TMC leaders were not quite supportive of Abhishek Banerjee’s plan.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee who spoke after her nephew seemed to have downplayed the announcement and asked TMC members to organise protests at least 100 metres from the houses of BJP leaders, not at the booth level but at the block level.
On Monday, the lawyers appearing for Abhishek Banerjee said that the gherao will be symbolic and would have been held 100 metres away from the homes of the BJP leaders.
According to West Bengal’s English daily, The Telegraph, several senior TMC leader had expressed disappointment in Abhishek Banerjee’s decision.
The English daily quoted people familiar with the development who said, “Such gherao will trigger a law-and-order crisis at many places. To reap political mileage the BJP will use the agitation to tell the nation that their workers are being intimidated in Bengal.”
The move had also triggered confusion among TMC party leaders wherein some opposed the move saying this would only leverage the BJP agenda, especially for the state reeling from the recently concluded Panchayat Polls and the immense violence the elections process incurred in rural parts of Bengal.
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Updated: 31 Jul 2023, 02:36 PM IST
