‘Pick different venue next year,' says Calcutta High Court on TMC's July 21 rally
A petition filed before Justice Tirthankar Ghosh alleged the rally caused inconvenience to the public. While refusing to intervene this year, the judge said, 'At the last moment, I will not change the venue. But from next year, select another place like Sahid Minar, Brigade Parade Ground, or Salt Lake Stadium. Political parties have emotional attachment to such days, but stadiums should be used for such programs.'
The petitioner had pointed out that the rally, to be held on a working Monday, would disrupt traffic and affect office-goers. Justice Ghosh remarked, 'For how many more days will people tolerate? Declare it a holiday. If such programs are held on working days, how will police manage traffic?'
During the hearing, TMC counsel Biswaroop Bhattacharya argued the petition was politically motivated. 'This has been going on for 13 years,' he said. Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted, 'They are alleging traffic jams. But traffic curbs happen during any major program, even when the Prime Minister or President visits, or during events at Brigade Parade Ground.'
Dutta also questioned the timing of the plea: 'Why was the petition filed just seven days before the rally, when it happens every year? Hundreds to thousands come from the districts; even during Pujas, there are curbs.'
Justice Ghosh, however, said, 'Can you (the state) say there will be no congestion? Let the Police Commissioner submit an affidavit that there will be no traffic disruption.'
Petitioner Shamim Ahmed said, 'We are not asking for a ban. We are saying that Section 144 is imposed from KC Das to Victoria House. When other parties seek permission to hold events there, the state cites traffic disruption as a reason to deny it. Police have already issued notifications stating curbs across major streets.'
Justice Ghosh said that July 21 cannot be observed by 'blocking roads, causing jams, and seizing buses'. A long hearing will be held to decide whether future rallies can be held in front of Victoria House. Until then, the court directed that both the police and ruling party must ensure no traffic jams occur.
The Kolkata Police Commissioner has been asked to submit a bond stating this guarantee. Police notices already issued regarding the rally must be submitted to the court on Friday, Justice Ghosh said. The state will then argue the admissibility of the case.
Since 2011, the rally has been held annually, typically in front of the Victoria House, to commemorate the 1993 police firing that killed 13 protestors from the then-Congress and Trinamool Congress.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
32 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Plea in Supreme Court critcises Centre, Delhi Police for non-registration of FIR in Justice Varma incident
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court criticising the Centre for not initiating 'an effective and meaningful investigation' into allegations of discovery and removal of 'burnt' cash from the residential premises of High Court judge, Justice Yashwant Varma, in Delhi following a fire. 'The Central government, which is in charge of the Delhi Police, on it being reported that there has been an incident of huge volumes of currency notes, burned and partially burned, being found and clandestinely removed from the official residence of Justice Varma, was duty-bound to direct the Delhi Police to register an First Information Report (FIR). It amounts to a great failure in the discharge of its sovereign function, nay, duty to investigate crimes and secure punishment to those who violate the law,' advocate Mathews J. Nedumpara, petitioner-in-person, submitted in a petition. In fact, the petition echoed the very report of the in-house inquiry committee constituted by the Chief Justice of India, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, which had also criticised the Delhi Police for its lack of quick action. The inquiry committee had concluded that the police and fire authorities were 'slipshod' for not lodging an FIR or preparing a seizure memo recording exactly what they came across at the scene of the fire on March 14-15. The committee said the 'higher police officers' had sought to explain their inaction by pointing to reasons like the 'sensitivity of the issue' and the absence of Justice Varma at his residence at the time of incident. The judge was in Bhopal at the time of the blaze. Justice Varma, who has himself approached the apex court anonymously in a petition, too has focussed his defence on the lack of any material evidence to base the allegations raised against him. He has attempted to discredit the conclusions reached in the in-house inquiry report by contending they were entirely based on presumptions. There was not even a formal complaint about the 'discovery' of cash. Neither was the alleged cash seized or panchnama prepared. The whole series of events banked on photos and videos privately taken by some officials, his petition in the apex court said. The inquiry committee had submitted a confidential report in early May, affirming the presence of cash and recommending the removal of Justice Varma from office. The then CJI, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, had forwarded the report to the President and the Prime Minister to commence the processes of a removal motion in the Parliament. Mr. Nedumpara's petition is the third in a series filed by the advocate in the apex court for registration of an FIR. It has coincided with both Justice Varma approaching the apex court and the opening of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, in which the Opposition is poised to raise a debate on the removal motion. On the first instance, Mr. Nedumpara had been asked by the top court to await the outcome of the in-house inquiry by a fact-finding committee of three judges appointed by the Chief Justice of India. 'After the committee had submitted its report, no FIR was registered. The petitioner filed yet another writ petition and was asked by the court to approach the President and the Prime Minister… To the petitioner's knowledge no FIR has been registered till date,' the petitoner-advocate submitted. The petition urged the apex court to direct the Centre/Delhi Police to register an FIR and cause or in the alternative to direct the Police/Union government to seek permission of the Chief Justice for the registration of an FIR… what is at stake is the concept of the rule of law, equality before law and equal protection of law,' the petition argued. The advocate intends to make an oral mentioning in court for an early hearing of his petition.
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Martyrs Day rally: Trinamool Congress gears up to sharpen Bengali pride narrative amid migrant row
With an eye on Assembly polls next year in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is gearing up to turn its annual Martyrs' Day rally into a powerful platform to sharpen its Bengali pride narrative and hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrants in saffron-ruled States. Set against the backdrop of rising tensions over the linguistic profiling and treatment of Bengali migrant workers in BJP-governed States such as Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi, the July 21 rally in Kolkata's Esplanade is expected to see Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee issue a clarion call to her party workers, reiterating her message that "Bengalis are not second-class citizens in their own country." Calcutta High Court sets 'office hour' curbs for Mamata's July 21 rally "Time and again, poor Bengali-speaking workers are being picked up, harassed, and branded as illegal infiltrators. The BJP is criminalising poverty and weaponising identity to harass the marginalised," a senior TMC leader told PTI. In recent weeks, a political storm has been brewing in West Bengal, with Ms. Banerjee alleging that Bengali-speaking migrants are being detained, targeted, and subjected to linguistic profiling in the name of national security. "Being born a Bengali has become a crime in BJP States. They think every Bengali is from Bangladesh. We won't tolerate this insult," Ms. Banerjee thundered at a recent public meeting. Protests will rage if Bengalis are harassed, says Mamata The TMC has accused the BJP of resorting to "linguistic othering" and has sought to reignite the emotional chord of regional identity that helped it counter the BJP's Hindutva wave during the 2021 Assembly polls. "Dignity, identity, and survival are at stake. BJP is out to erase Bengali self-respect under the garb of nationalism. Our fight is not just electoral-it's existential," a TMC MP said. The BJP, on the other hand, has pushed back strongly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent rally in Durgapur, accused the TMC of promoting infiltration and endangering national security for vote-bank politics. "It is the BJP that truly protects Bengali 'ashmita'," Mr. Modi had said, as he projected the BJP as the only credible alternative in Bengal. BJP persecuting Bengali speakers in Assam claims Mamata Banerjee; Himanta Biswa Sarma hits back Responding to the TMC's allegations over migrant harassment, BJP leaders have claimed that the confusion stems from the TMC's failure to streamline citizenship and voter documentation. "They are blaming others to hide their incompetence," said a Bengal BJP leader. The Martyrs' Day rally, observed annually on July 21, commemorates the killing of 13 youth activists in police firing in 1993 when Mamata Banerjee, then a fiery Youth Congress leader, led a march to the State Secretariat demanding that voter ID cards be made the sole document for franchise. Over the years, the rally has morphed into the biggest show of political strength by the TMC, often setting the tone for upcoming battles. This year's rally, party insiders say, will be a launch pad for a high-voltage campaign leading up to the 2026 Assembly polls, where the TMC plans to weaponise both Bengali pride and the perceived humiliation of its people across State borders. "We gave them 'poriborton' (change) in 2011. Now, we will give them 'protibad' (resistance)," said a young TMC MLA, hinting at a fiery speech by Ms. Banerjee that will blend emotional appeal with sharp political messaging. Security has been beefed up for Monday's rally, with thousands of supporters already streaming into the city from across the State. Ms. Banerjee, known for her emotive oratory, is expected to take direct aim at the BJP's "double standards" — questioning how the same party that talks of Bengali pride in Bengal is accused of humiliating Bengalis elsewhere. With lakhs of supporters expected to pour into Kolkata from every corner of the State — some on overcrowded local trains, others by trucks draped in TMC flags — the city is already witnessing a carnival-like build-up. Tea stalls and dhabas in Esplanade and Sealdah are abuzz with slogans such as "Khela Hobe, abar hobe" and "Banglar keu Bangladeshi noy" (No Bengali from Bengal is a Bangladeshi). As a party strategist put it, "From 1993 to 2025, this rally is more than a tribute. It is Mamata Banerjee's declaration of battle against injustice, against humiliation, and for the soul of Bengal. With the 2026 Assembly showdown on the horizon and a resurgent BJP sharpening its knives, the July 21 rally is poised to be more than just a commemoration — it's a political bugle call. In a State where identity runs deep and memory lingers long, the rally promises to redraw the battle lines of power, pride, and perception. In the grand political theatre that lies ahead, July 21 could well be TMC's opening act — with Mamata Banerjee cast once again as the combative protagonist, and 'Bengali asmita' as both shield and sword.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
ED not a drone to attack at will on any criminal activity: Madras HC
The Madras High Court has observed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was not a 'drone' to attack at will, and nor was it a 'super cop' to investigate anything and everything which comes to its notice. A division bench of Justice M S Ramesh and Justice V Lakshminarayanan made the observations while hearing the plea by city-based RKM Powergen Private Ltd challenging the ED seizing Rs 901 crore of its fixed deposits in connection with a PMLA case. The ED action came on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI in 2014 over the allocation of coal blocks for a power plant in Chhattisgarh earlier. The agency filed a closure report in 2017 saying it found no irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks. The CBI court did not agree with the closure report and wanted further probe in some aspects. In 2023, CBI filed a supplementary final report, which found that there were sufficient incriminating materials warranting prosecution under sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. Later, the ED conducted searches in the premises of directors and holding companies associated with RKMP. On January 31,2025 a freezing order was passed wherein the fixed deposit to the tune of Rs 901 crore was frozen by the ED. The company challenged the said order and the court set it aside. The bench said that a careful perusal of Section 66(2) of PMLA points out that if during the course of investigation, the ED comes across violations of other provisions of law, then it cannot assume the role of investigating those offences also. It is to inform the appropriate agency, which is empowered by law to investigate that offence. If that agency, on the intimation from the ED, commences investigation and registers a complaint, then certainly the ED can investigate into those aspects also, provided there are 'proceeds of crime'. 'In case, the investigating agency does not find any case with respect to the aspects pointed out by the ED, then the ED cannot suo motu proceed with the investigation and assume powers. The essential ingredient for the ED to seize jurisdiction is the presence of a predicate offence. It is like a limpet mine attached to a ship. If there is no ship, the limpet cannot work. The ship is the predicate offence and 'proceeds of crime'. The ED is not a loitering munition or drone to attack at will on any criminal activity,' the bench said. It further said that a perusal of the papers show that no complaint had been lodged with respect to any of the aforesaid alleged criminal activities. 'The ED is not a super cop to investigate anything and everything which comes to its notice.' There should be a 'criminal activity' which attracts the schedule to PMLA, and on account of such criminal activity, there should have been proceeds of crime, it said
