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Rabi Banerjee
Rabi Banerjee

WEST BENGAL

Calcutta HC scraps Mamata govt order

mamata-banerjee

The Calcutta High Court today cancelled the order of the West Bengal government banning the Durgapuja idol immersion on the day of Muharram, October 1.

The court said the immersion would continue as scheduled before the order of the state government and would continue till midnight, every day.

The division bench led by acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Rakesh Tiwari came down heavily on the state government calling its decision “bipartisan” and just to hide the “administrative inefficiency”.

“Why are you dividing people in the name of religion?” asked the court to West Bengal government.

The court has ordered that police would be able to change the routes of Tazia and Durga Puja procession. It has asked both Director General of Police and Commissioner of Kolkata police to take necessary steps for puja immersion as well as for Muharram procession.

It accepted the fact that West Bengal government has power to decide on the matter of law and order but it would also have to abide by the norms and regulations. The court wanted to know from police what kind of preparation it had for the Puja immersion and to control mob during Tazia.

“Police are requested to take all the steps required to allow both the community to practice their own religious norms. It’s a fundamental right of the citizen to practice their religion,” said the judges while delivering judgement.

Mamata Banerjee had earlier said there was a deep conspiracy going on, to create communal tension in the state.

The court asked police to create two routes for the two different communities. One would be for Tazia and the other would be for Durgapuja immersion. Both the groups will not pass through the same road.

When state’s advocate Kishore Dutta raised the fear of clash or violence, Justice Tiwari said, “There are no norms which enable the police to use bullet at the first step. It has to use water cannon, lathis, tear gas. Using bullets would be the last straw.”

A beaming BJP has asked the Mamata Banerjee to learn lesson from the court order.

“Law and order is the duty of the state government. If it fails, it can ask the central government to step in. Our government would bring central force and would show her how to maintain law and order in the state,” said BJP’s general secretary in the state, Biswapriya Roy Chowdhury.

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