Kolkata: Kolkata Police has registered a suo motu case against Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and organisers of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) foundation day rally for allegedly violating directions issued by the Calcutta High Court.
The case was registered at Hastings Police Station following Friday’s TMCP foundation day programme on Cathedral Road in Kolkata. The Calcutta High Court had permitted the rally to be held on August 28, but imposed specific conditions, including keeping one flank of the road open for movement. The court had also specified a time limit for the programme.
According to the police, the required flank was not kept open during the rally and the event continued beyond the time permitted by the court. An officer said the FIR was filed in connection with the alleged violation and that the role of everyone involved would be examined during the investigation.
The development comes amid a fresh political confrontation between the ruling BJP in West Bengal and the Trinamool Congress. Mamata Banerjee, who addressed the rally, launched a sharp attack on the BJP government and accused it of using the police to intimidate political opponents.
Speaking at the programme, Banerjee alleged that the police had a more humane approach during her government but had now been turned into a “monstrous entity” under the BJP. She said she would oppose what she described as police atrocities against her supporters.
The TMC chief also said she would soon begin travelling across West Bengal and would take to the streets if her public meetings were not allowed. Referring to alleged attacks on TMC leaders, she said she wanted to see how many “eggs and bricks” the opposition had in stock.
Banerjee also criticised the process of seeking administrative or judicial permission for political meetings. She said she did not want to repeatedly approach courts for permission and would instead seek the people’s approval for holding meetings at venues of her choice.
The former chief minister further accused the BJP of using the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process to influence the electoral landscape in Bengal. She alleged that lakhs of names had been removed from electoral rolls.
The TMC chief also targeted the state government over ongoing eviction drives against hawkers. While saying she had no objection to clearing pavements, she demanded proper rehabilitation for displaced hawkers. She suggested that those who could not be rehabilitated should receive compensation of ₹25,000 per month.
The FIR adds another legal dimension to the increasingly bitter political contest in West Bengal. The police investigation will now examine whether the rally organisers and other individuals involved breached the conditions laid down by the High Court.
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