Calcutta HC Limits BJP Protest Nearby Secretariat

The Calcutta High Court denied the BJP's request to hold a protest outside West Bengal's state secretariat, Nabanna, instead permitting it near a bus stand. Led by Suvendu Adhikari, the protest addresses alleged state obstruction in an ED investigation. The court imposed conditions for the protest to avoid public disruption.

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ruled against the BJP's attempt to stage a protest directly outside Nabanna, the state secretariat in West Bengal. Instead, they granted permission for a demonstration at a nearby bus stand, stressing no disruption to public order.

BJP leaders, including Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari, had planned the protest to call attention to what they describe as political obstruction by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's administration in a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), allegedly hampering investigations into a coal-pilferage scam.

While the BJP intended to protest outside Nabanna, citing democratic rights, the court sided with government concerns about public safety in the high-security zone. Restrictions on the protest include a cap on participants and strict measures to ensure public convenience. The BJP plans to challenge the court's decision at a higher level.