Political reaction to HC banning rallies

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government is yet to make up its mind on how to react to the Calcutta High Court order on Monday, imposing restrictions on holding rallies in the city, state advocate general Balai Roy said.
How can I react to a judicial order, he said. Either the state has to comply to it or it has to go for an appeal. The government is yet to make up its mind.You will get to know of it tomorrow.
Leaders of political parties, however, reacted with shock. Some thought it amounted to curbing the fundamental rights, others thought people would be denied a legitimate form of protest.
Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya and Forward Bloc leader Ashok Ghosh said organizing rallies and processions was a part of the fundamenal rights of the people. Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee said people needed a forum for protest.
Opposition leader Pankaj Banerjee said, however, that the Trinamul avoided taking out rallies on weekdays, except on July 21, which was a fixed date on which it observed the ‘martyrs’ day.
City mayor Subarata Mukherjee said there was nothing wrong if rallies were restricted in major streets, but they could not be disallowed during the day. I am not aware of such ruling in any other country. Even in developed democracies like the UK, people are allowed to hold meetings at the Hyde Park, he said.
I would thus urge upon the Centre to call a meeting of chief ministers and thrash out these problems as early as possible, Forward Bloc leader Ashok Ghosh said. At least, a federal democracy like us demands it.
RSP leader Debabrata Bandyopadhya agreed that organizers of rallies and meetings should keep in mind that these caused traffic snarls. But people have their problems, too, for which they need to assemble and lodge a protest.
SUCI leader Provas Ghosh said his party would break the rule if it came in the way of people’s interests. The party would take out a rally against the bus fare increase from October 10. CPI leader Manju Mazumdar said people wouls be forced to take out rallies if government policies marginalized them.