Calcutta HC grants TMC's Abhishek Banerjee protection from coercive action over his rally remarks

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee protection from coercive action till July 31 in an FIR over his comments at a public meeting last month, and asked if it was appropriate for a parliamentarian to make unwarranted statements.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya directed Banerjee, the TMC's national general secretary, to cooperate with the probe and comply with notices sent to him by the investigating officer.

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The court also directed him not to travel abroad without the leave of the court.

The MP from Diamond Harbour moved the high court seeking the quashing of the FIR over his comments against the leaders and workers of a rival party at a public meeting on April 27 in the run-up to the second phase of West Bengal assembly polls.

Asking why "irresponsible statements" were made by Banerjee, Justice Bhattacharyya wondered what would have happened if the TMC won the election. "This state has a very dark history of post-poll violence," he observed.

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The judge further asked whether Banerjee's comments at the public meeting matched the position of an all-India general secretary of the Trinamool Congress.

Granting him protection from coercive action till July 31, the court said it will hear the matter again on July 20.

Appearing for the West Bengal government, Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumder opposed Banerjee's plea but submitted that the investigation will follow the due process of the law.