Calcutta HC Allows ISF to Hold Rally on its Foundation Day

The Calcutta High Court has granted permission for the Indian Secular Front (ISF) to conduct a rally on January 21 in front of Victoria House at Esplanade in the city on its foundation day.

A single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta has instructed that participants in the meeting refrain from using foul language and avoid inciting violence.

The court has directed that the petitioner political party, ISF, is allowed to hold a meeting on their foundation day on January 21. It further mandated that the entire program be videographed by the police, as well as the petitioners. The state has been directed to deploy an adequate number of police personnel, provide necessary assistance, and ensure the safety and security of both participants and passersby.

ISF approached the high court seeking directions to the Kolkata police to grant permission for the rally, asserting that their formal application was denied. The state opposed the prayer, citing last year’s meeting where violence occurred, resulting in attacks on police personnel and damage to vehicles, causing chaos in Kolkata’s streets. ISF’s lone MLA, Naushad Siddique, had been arrested by the police in connection with the incident.

Advocate General Kishore Dutta, representing the state, expressed willingness to provide alternative venues such as Ramlila Maidan. The petitioner’s counsel argued that alleged incidents of violence were a consequence of provocations, attacks, and assaults committed by miscreants.

The court noted that political meetings had been allowed at the venue in the past, emphasizing that all political outfits are entitled to a level playing field. Justice Sengupta stated that the court finds no justifiable reason for the state to deny the petitioners the right to hold such a meeting at the venue at a specified time.

The court specified that the number of participants should be limited to 1,000, and the number of vehicles, including buses, should not exceed 15. The petitioners were directed to provide the names of four individuals responsible for conducting the meeting. Additionally, the court instructed that a clear passage on the other side of the road should be left open for vehicles to ply.