A division bench of Calcutta High Court on Thursday criticised the Bengal government for its efforts to prevent Opposition parties and the people from raising their voices against various activities of the administration.

Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam who headed the division bench made the remark while dismissing the government’s plea for vacating the venue of a dharna by the BJP from the Y-Channel at Dorina Crossing in Esplanade on the premise that the programme was creating traffic bottlenecks.

The BJP started the dharna on Thursday to demand the resignation of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who the party alleged, was trying to cover up the rape and murder of the junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital here on August 9.

The dharna is scheduled to continue till September 5.

After Kolkata Police had refused to grant permission to a tribal outfit affiliated with the BJP to hold the dharna at the Y-Channel, the organisation moved the high court. Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj asked the police to take necessary measures to allow the rally at the Y-Channel.

Accordingly, the rally began at the Y-Channel on Thursday. But the government again moved the single bench of Justice Bharadwaj, accusing the BJP of encroaching on a part of the Dorina Crossing, and wanted the court’s intervention to get the place vacated.

After the judge dismissed the state’s plea, the government moved the division bench of the Chief Justice with a similar appeal.

While dismissing the state’s plea, Justice Sivagnanam said: “Let the people rub balm on the wound that has already been created. The meetings and dharnas are outbursts of their grievance. Since the plea is being heard virtually, thousands of people are viewing it. Please don’t force us to open our mouths. According to media reports, altogether 46 rallies were organised on Wednesday.”

Although the Chief Justice made a strong remark in response to the state’s plea, he did not include it in the court’s order that dismissed the government’s plea.

The Chief Justice on Thursday also advised the government to allow people to speak out in public places.

This is not the first time that Opposition parties in Bengal had to move the court to seek permission to carry out political programmes.