BJP files caveat in SC anticipating Bengal govt's move against mega rally

Kolkata, Nov 24 (IANS) The West Bengal unit of BJP on Friday filed caveat at the Supreme Court anticipating a possible move by the Mamata government to challenge the order of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court allowing the saffron camp to conduct its mega rally on November 29 at the same spot in the city where the Trinamool Congress organises annual 'Martyrs Day' rally on July 21.

The BJP rally is supposed to be attended among others by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Giriraj Singh and Minister of State Niranjan Jyoti.

“It seems that the issue of our proposed rally has been taken as a prestige issue by the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress just because the venue is the same where the ruling party’s Martyrs Day rally is conducted every year. So there is a high possibility that the state government might move to the level of the apex court against the division bench of the Calcutta High Court. We have filed a caveat at the Supreme Court so that in case the state government approaches the apex court, our arguments are also heard there,” said a member of the state committee of BJP.

On Friday, the division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya clearly said that although the BJP will have to conduct the rally as per the conditions and restrictions of the Kolkata Police, the latter will not be allowed to impose any additional or new restriction on the organisers.

The court’s observation was that if a particular programme (read Trinamool Congress’ Martyrs Day rally) can be conducted at the spot in central Kolkata, there is no reason why a similar rally by any other organiser cannot be staged at the same place.