Kolkata, July 17 A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court said on Thursday that the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government must think of an alternative venue for its annual July 21 Martyrs' Day rally from next year.
Every year, the rally is conducted at the multiple-crossing point of Esplanade in front of Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation House in busy central Kolkata, which throws the entire traffic system in the area as well as on the adjacent roads out of gear for a substantial period on the day of the annual rally.
Even the police have to issue a traffic advisory diverting the vehicles for a substantial period.
Interestingly, barring the Trinamool Congress, no other political party is permitted by the police to conduct any political programme at the same venue.
This year, a group of petitioners approached the Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, questioning why permission for a rally is given to just one political outfit even though that event causes inconvenience for the common people.
The matter came up for hearing on Thursday, and during the hearing, Justice Ghosh observed that although he would not order a change of venue of the programme this year at the last minute, the organisers of the rally should consider a change of venue for holding it from next year.
"A political party might have some emotion about a particular place. As far as I remember, the July 21 Martyrs' Day rally was organised at this place. Since then, it has become an annual practice to conduct the rally at the same place every year. How long could people tolerate any political programme blocking the roads for hours?" Justice Ghosh asked.
After the counsels for the state government and Trinamool Congress questioned the rationality of the petition and also described it as "politically-motivated", Justice Ghosh asked whether the Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma could give a written guarantee that there would not be any traffic congestion on the day of the rally.
"Someone will have to take the responsibility," Justice Ghosh said.
He also noted that he would impose certain conditions on the rally during the next hearing in the matter on Friday.
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