All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, 8 July accused the state police of openly defying a Calcutta High Court order permitting a party procession in Kolkata, and warned that she would initiate contempt of court proceedings against the officers responsible. The allegations came after violent disruptions derailed a TMC protest march organised against the alleged rape and murder of a minor in Baruipur.

What Happened During the Procession

The march was organised by the Trinamool Congress student wing and had received explicit permission from the Calcutta High Court. Banerjee alleged that the police had been informed well in advance of the designated route, yet the procession was obstructed and law enforcement remained passive. She further alleged that hand microphones permitted along the court-approved route were forcibly seized from TMC workers by police personnel.

According to Banerjee, the programme was conducted in exercise of democratic rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution, making its alleged obstruction a particularly serious legal and constitutional concern.

Allegations Against the State Administration

Banerjee levelled a series of charges against the current state government. She alleged that a section of the police was leaking confidential information about opposition programmes to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers, and that BJP supporters had gathered on motorcycles outside her residence from early morning, creating what she described as an atmosphere of intimidation. She claimed that Special Branch personnel deployed outside her home took no steps to intervene.

She also alleged that while the TMC procession faced restrictions, BJP programmes were allowed to proceed without obstruction. Ruling party supporters, she claimed, played loud music on DJs, assembled what she described as anti-social elements near the venue, and later entered the procession to raise provocative slogans and assault TMC workers.

Criticising the administration directly, Banerjee said: The current administration is more interested in politics than the welfare of the common people of the state. The supply of eggs under the mid-day meal scheme has been stopped for political reasons, as a result of which numerous poor school students in the state are being directly deprived of necessary nutrition.

Injuries and Escalation

Banerjee claimed that several women, senior citizens, and young party workers — including the chairperson of the party's IT cell — were seriously injured during the violence. She said the situation deteriorated to the point where she had to leave her residence personally to assist the injured workers.

She asserted that democratic voices cannot be suppressed through intimidation, coercion, or force, and called for the immediate restoration of the rule of law and peace across the state.

Legal Action and Political Context

Banerjee confirmed that the TMC would formally initiate contempt proceedings against police officers who allegedly failed to comply with the Calcutta High Court's order. Expressing broader disillusionment, she said: Did the people of Bengal vote for this change? Change should mean peace, security, a reduction in violence and a significant decline in crimes against women.

The incident marks a sharp escalation in the political confrontation between the TMC and the ruling dispensation in West Bengal, with the judiciary now drawn into the centre of the dispute. How the Calcutta High Court responds to any contempt petition filed by the TMC will be closely watched.