Agartala, Sept 21: Tripura High Court on Tuesday upheld the West Tripura District Magistrate’s order banning any kind of public rallies by any political party in two police station areas under Sadar Police Sub-Division till November 4.
BJP government twice denied permission to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to hold a mega rally led by the party’s national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Agartala.
TMC leader and West Bengal MP, Santanu Sen, without commenting on the High Court order said that they are yet to get Tuesday’s court’s order and the party would go forward about the legal matter legally.
After Bengal victory in the Assembly polls this year, the Trinamool Congrees is trying to spread its wings in the Northeast. TMC is trying everything possible to create a political space in the Tripura.
Talking to media persons, Santanu Sen said, “The BJP government feared the TMC and Abhishek Banerjee a lot. People of Tripura are with the party whole heartedly despite the BJP government’s conspiracies against Trinamool Congress.”
Sen, accompanied by TMC leaders Sushmita Dev and Subal Bhowmik, said that the party’s next course of action after Tuesday’s development would be announced “soon”.
Approaching Court backfires for TMC
Meanwhile, West Tripura’s acting District Magistrate (DM) and Collector Rajib Datta, in his order on Monday quoting the letter of district Superintendent of Police said that he is satisfied that allowing any kind of meeting, procession, public gathering by any political party at present may deteriorate law and order situation at East Agartala and West Agartala Police Station areas under Sadar Police Sub-Division and the situation may worsen if not controlled right now.
Following a petition by Bhowmik, Tripura High Court Judge Arindam Lodh upheld the DM’s order on Tuesday.
Bhowmik earlier sought direction to the police to allow the TMC to hold the mega rally led by Banerjee on Wednesday in Agartala.
Bhowmik, Sen and Dev have vehemently criticised the BJP government for not allowing the peaceful rally though the other parties including the BJP recently organised political processions.
TMC’s mega rally dream remains a dream so far
The Tripura police last week twice disallowed the mega rally planned by the Trinamool under the leadership of Banerjee in Agartala, first on September 15 and then on September 16.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Sadar (Anirban Das) first disallowed the Trinamool rally saying that permission for organising a mass rally in Agartala has already been granted to another political party on this date and time.
When the TMC sought permission to hold the mega ‘padyatra’ (protest march) on September 16, the SDPO in his letter to Trinamool leader Subal Bhowmik said that it is not possible to permit the holding of the rally on Thursday since there will be law and order commitment of the police in view of Viswakarma Puja on September 17.
