The Calcutta High Court on Monday said that the police authorities should grant permission to the BJP for holding a public meeting in Calcutta on November 29, scheduled to be addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The BJP has moved the high court seeking direction to the city police to grant permission for holding the meeting at Esplanade in the heart of Calcutta, claiming that it was refused by the authorities twice.

Observing that it is a free country, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha said that the authorities should grant permission to hold the meeting on that date.

Justice Mantha said that the police can impose reasonable restrictions which they can convey to the organisers.

He directed that the matter will appear before the court again on Wednesday.

The petitioner's lawyer Srijib Chakraborty claimed the BJP had first applied for permission to hold the meeting on November 28, but it was refused as it had not been placed before the stipulated buffer time. He said that the application was sent again for permission to hold the public meeting on November 29, but was not granted.

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