Calcutta HC allows Suvendu Adhikari to hold dharna outside Raj Bhavan on July 14

The dharna is over alleged post-poll violence upon opposition party members.

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday allowed Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and others to hold a peaceful dharna outside the Raj Bhavan here on July 14 for four hours.

BJP's Nandigram MLA Adhikari had prayed for permission to hold the dharna protesting against alleged post-poll violence upon opposition party workers at the same site outside Raj Bhavan where the TMC had held a demonstration in October, 2023.

Justice Amrita Sinha permitted the sit-in demonstration with a maximum of 300 people on July 14 for four hours there with the condition that it should be absolutely peaceful and that no participant in the dharna will carry any firearm.

She also directed that no inflammatory speech will be made from the demonstration that may incite people.

Appearing for the West Bengal government, Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted before the court that Adhikari and others will be permitted to hold the demonstration on July 14 for four hours from 10 am outside the Raj Bhavan.

Seeking to hold the demonstration outside the Raj Bhavan, which the state had earlier said comes under prohibitory orders on gatherings under Section 144 of CrPC, Adhikari's counsel stated that the ruling party held a dharna there for five days in October, 2023.

Adhikari's counsel Billwadal Bhattacharya had stated during the previous hearing that his prayer to the Kolkata Police authorities seeking permission to hold the dharna protesting alleged post-poll violence upon opposition party workers at the same site of Raj Bhavan had been turned down citing administrative reasons.