Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, lifted the earlier ban on any political rally in the locality in the vicinity of the Jadavpur University (JU) campus in Kolkata till March 13 without prior permission of the court, which the same bench had earlier imposed last week amid the prevailing and continuing tension in the area then over the ruckus within the university premises on March 1.
Lifting the ban on Wednesday, the single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh observed that the earlier order by his bench on March 8 had been enforced partially and the court is not keen to retain the responsibility in the matter further.
Justice Ghosh also observed that henceforth the organisations or parties willing to conduct the rallies in the area will have to approach the administrative authorities concerned for the permission and the latter would decide on the matter.
On March 8, while imposing the interim ban on any political rally in the vicinity of the university campus till March 13, Justice Ghosh had also directed the police administration to ensure that no permission for rally is given to any political outfit during the period fixed by the court.
The lifting of the ban is significant since the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has announced that BJP will start a massive agitation programme on the issue of the ongoing crisis in Jadavpur University once the higher secondary examination in the state board is over.
In such a situation, several rounds of legal battle will be inevitable in case the police administration denies permission to BJP to conduct political programmes in the vicinity of Jadavpur University.
The ruckus broke out within the Jadavpur University campus on Saturday when the State Education Minister Bratya Basu’s car was allegedly stopped after it entered the campus, and a scuffle followed.
The students were demanding immediate elections for the university’s students’ council.
The protesting students alleged that while Minister Basu decided to leave the campus in the aftermath of the protests, his vehicle deliberately hit two protesting students, following which they were severely injured and had to be hospitalised.
Amid the protests, the West Bengal Minister received minor injuries and fell sick. He was taken to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital and was discharged later.
(IANS)
