Court orders police to protect Mamata’s July 21 rally

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the Kolkata Police to ensure protection of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction for holding its Martyrs’ Day rally here, while hearing its allegation of vandalisation of the programme stage.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya directed the Joint Commissioner (Headquarters) to file a report on July 31 when the matter will be heard again.

The court also directed that the stage and other meeting materials must be removed by 9 pm on Tuesday and that the police will provide security and assistance for dismantling the stage and removing the materials.

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction moved the High Court on Tuesday, stating that they made an urgent application before Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty at midnight alleging vandalism at their July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally venue in front of Birla Planetarium here.

Seeking immediate intervention of the court and a modification of its July 15 order, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction’s lawyer Arka Nag stated that goons vandalised the stage and disconnected the loudspeakers this morning.

The lawyer said that in spite of direction by the court on July 15 to deploy adequate police personnel to ensure law and order, the people providing materials for making the stage and other electrical items were subjected to threats.