EC bike ban: HC asked questions we were asking, say angry bikers

Kolkata: Thousands of two-wheeler users across the state expressed a collective sense of relief on Thursday following the Calcutta High Court's intervention against the Election Commission's 72-hour motorcycle ban.For the city's middle-class commuters the court's scepticism towards the "arbitrary" notification has been hailed as a victory for the common citizen. Across Kolkata's major intersections, bikers on Thursday noted that the court finally voiced the questions they had been asking since the notification was first issued."All my concerns have been addressed by the court. Now, a constitutional authority has asked why the common man should suffer for the administration's inability to control law and order," said Subhankar Banerjee, a resident of Rashbehari Avenue who uses his bike for medical item distribution. "The court's observation about why cars aren't being banned if security is the issue is exactly what we have been saying. Why are the bikers always the easy target?" added Banerjee.In Bansdroni, IT professional Arindam Ghoshal stated that the judicial scrutiny has removed the fear of arbitrary police action. "I was worried that my daily commute would be labelled as 'troublemaking' by overzealous officials at nakas. Why are bikers being singled out?"Motorists also cheered the court's demand for data on past bike-related violence. Saptarshi Majumdar of Bagbazar noted that the requirement for an affidavit from the EC puts the burden of proof on the authorities. "All my concerns have been addressed by the court because it has demanded evidence. You cannot just harass thousands of people based on a whim," Majumdar said. For bikers like Nilanjan Sen of Jadavpur, the message is clear: "The court has ensured that the ‘festival of democracy' does not become a nightmare for the person on two wheels."
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