TMC's Abhishek Banerjee Denied Permission By HC To Hold Aug 5 Protest To Gherao BJP Leaders' Residence

The Calcutta High Court on Monday restrained the ruling TMC's August 5 programme to gherao homes of BJP leaders in West Bengal.

The Calcutta HC has restrained TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's August 5 programme to gherao homes of BJP leaders in West Bengal. ( Image Source :PTI )

The Calcutta High Court has prohibited TMC general-secretary Abhishek Banerjee from staging the August 5 protest in which the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal planned to gherao the homes of BJP leaders. During the party's Shahid Diwas program on 21st July, Abhishek Banerjee had announced to gherao the homes of BJP leaders residence on August 5. 

Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly and petitioner in the case, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that while TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called for the gherao protest during TMC's July 21 rally, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vetted the call in her speech from the same dais.

"The respondents and all concerned are restrained from any such protest or gheraoing or blocking of traffic, inconveniencing the general public on August 5," a division bench presided by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed.

Abhishek Banerjee had called for a gherao of houses of all BJP leaders to demand the release of funds due to West Bengal by the Centre. The chief minister, however, said that the protest should be held 100 metres away from the homes of BJP leaders.

Claiming that the protest was commanded by Abhishek and affirmed by the chief minister, Adhikari urged that no rally should be permitted to take place.

The court directed the respondents to file affidavits in support of their contention against the PIL by Adhikari within 10 days, and said that the matter will be heard again after two weeks.

The lawyer appearing for Abhishek said that the gherao will be symbolic and would have been held 100 metres away from the homes of the BJP leaders.

Meanwhile, four candidates who won the panchayat elections in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district alleged that they were kidnapped by supporters of the TMC, a charge denied by the state's ruling party. This comes after the state witnessed severe violence since the announcement of the panchayat polls in the state.