The high court on Friday granted the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) permission to hold a rally to mark Ram Navami on Sunday evening subject to conditions such as the marchers will not be armed.
The rally is slated to begin in Garia, on the south-eastern fringes of Calcutta, and terminate in Jadavpur, more than 4km away.
The court specified the stretch, timing and maximum headcount for the march and also ruled that weapons will not be allowed.
The VHP had moved the high court after Kolkata Police refused it permission to hold the rally citing a shortage of personnel because of the Lok Sabha elections.
Ram Navami was celebrated across India on Wednesday, April 17. At least 60 processions were organised in Calcutta that day.
Justice Jay Sengupta of the high court asked the police to make the necessary security arrangements for the rally on Sunday and seek the assistance of the central forces, if needed.
“If needed, the state police may take the assistance of the central forces to maintain law and order,” the court order says.
Justice Sengupta rolled out a list of guidelines for the rally to be held on April 21:
- The rally has to be organised between the Garia bus stand and the 8B bus stand in Jadavpur
- The rally will have to be held between 6pm and 8pm
- No more than 600 people will be allowed to join the rally
- There should be five volunteers to control the rally and the traffic
- Rallyists will not be allowed to carry arms
- There should not be any provocative remarks from the rally.
The counsel who appeared for the state opposed the prayer and said the police force is stretched as the Lok Sabha elections have started and the number of political programmes has increased.
The lawyer said the state has earlier experienced law-and-order problems after allowing such rallies.
But the judge held that as the organisers have the fundamental right to proceed with their programme, the court could not prevent them from holding it.
The judge said it is the duty of the state to ensure that law and order is maintained and no untoward incident takes place.
Earlier this week, Calcutta High Court had granted a similar permission to the VHP to hold a rally in Howrah on Ram Navami, April 17.