Calcutta High Court denies permission for TMC to gherao residences of BJP leaders

The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the ruling Trinamool Congress not to proceed with its programme to gherao residences of BJP leaders in West Bengal on August 5.

A division bench led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed that “the respondents and all concerned are restrained from any such protest or gherao or blocking of traffic, inconveniencing the general public on August 5."

A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya heard the case today which was filed by petitioner and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari, who is the petitioner of the case, claimed that Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called for the gherao on July 21 Martyr’s rally.


Asked by the court whether permission was granted for the programme, the state Advocate General S N Mookherjee submitted that only a statement had been made in this regard at the rally.

On July 21, Abhishek Banerjee had called for a gherao of houses of all BJP leaders to press the demand for the release of funds due to West Bengal by the Centre. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during her speech, had said the protest should be held 100 metres away from their residences and no one’s movement should be obstructed.