Calcutta HC Grants Suvendu Adhikari Access to Murshidabad Amid Tensions
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Synopsis
The Calcutta High Court has allowed the Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, to visit Murshidabad, a district troubled by recent communal violence. This decision comes with specific restrictions to maintain peace during his visit.
Key Takeaways
- Calcutta HC permits Suvendu Adhikari's visit.
- Restrictions include a limit on companions.
- Adhikari cannot join rallies or make provocative remarks.
- Previous police denial of access was challenged.
- CAPF deployment was deemed necessary to control unrest.
Kolkata, April 23 (NationPress) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court granted permission on Wednesday for Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, to visit affected areas in the Murshidabad district. This region has been experiencing unrest following violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act earlier this month.
However, Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury stipulated certain restrictions on Adhikari's visit. Firstly, he can only be accompanied by a maximum of two individuals. Secondly, he is prohibited from participating in any rallies or gatherings during his trip. Lastly, he must refrain from making any provocative statements.
Adhikari sought the intervention of the Calcutta High Court after the district police denied him entry to Murshidabad. His legal counsel argued that the refusal was unjust, as other political figures were permitted to visit the troubled district.
Initially, Adhikari approached the single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh for permission to visit Murshidabad, but Justice Ghosh declined to hear the case, citing the ongoing proceedings in the division bench led by Justice Sen and Justice Basu Chowdhury.
Subsequently, LoP Adhikari applied to the division bench, which approved his request on Wednesday.
Notably, this is the same division bench that had previously ordered the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Murshidabad on April 12. The court noted that the measures taken by the West Bengal government to manage the communal unrest, which erupted on April 8, were insufficient.
The bench further emphasized that had the CAPF been deployed sooner, the situation might not have escalated to such a “grave” and “volatile” state.
