Pick another venue, HC tells Suvendu on Raj Bhavan stir plea

KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed Suvendu Adhikari to come up with an alternative venue after the state leader of opposition sought permission to stage a dharna outside Raj Bhavan with victims of post-poll violence.
The BJP neta had moved court after the joint commissioner of police turned down on “administrative” grounds his application to hold the protest from June 19 to June 24.The joint commissioner, instead, requested the party to hold the dharna at Y Channel, 200m away from Raj Bhavan.
Adhikari’s counsel Billwadal Bhattacharya stated that the governing dispensation had held a dharna in front of Raj Bhavan in Oct last year. Bhattacharya argued that there could not be two sets of laws for citizens and denying permission to the proposed BJP dharna would be a violation of Article 14 and 19 of the Constitution.
Advocate general Kishore Datta submitted that the state was well within its powers to impose “reasonable restrictions” in certain areas — like Raj Bhavan, Nabanna and Calcutta High Court — and bring them under prohibitory clauses.
Justice Amrita Sinha observed that the petitioner was seeking “negative equality”, in the sense that the opposition was arguing it should be allowed to hold a dharna in an area under CrPC Section 144 on the argument that the governing dispensation had protested there. The court, instead, directed the petitioner to decide on an alternative site on Friday.
Justice Sinha also directed the state to submit on Friday whether any step was taken against members of the governing dispensation for holding a dharna in an area under prohibitory orders.