Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, February 14, 2025, Kolkata : In a significant legal development, the Calcutta High Court has overruled the West Bengal government’s objection and granted permission for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rally to be held in Burdwan on February 16, 2025. The rally, which is expected to feature RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, had faced opposition from the Mamata Banerjee-led state government, but the court’s decision has paved the way for the event.
RSS had approached the court seeking permission after the state government refused to allow the rally. During the proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyer, Debashis Chowdhury, argued that the event would take place in a small area within a large venue, far from any educational institutions or residential zones. He pointed out that the rally would run from 11:00 am to 12:15 pm and asserted that the claims regarding noise disturbance, especially concerning the use of microphones, were unfounded. The lawyer further argued that the event did not require state permission for this location, emphasizing the absence of any nearby schools or residential areas.
In response, Advocate General Kishore Dutta, representing the state, contended that there were three schools in the area, and the state had issued a notification banning the use of microphones or sound systems from three days before the secondary and higher secondary exams to prevent any disruption. This notification, issued in June of the previous year, was set to come into effect from February 12, 2025, and the government argued that the RSS had deliberately scheduled its program during this period.
After considering the arguments from both sides, the court ruled in favor of the RSS, allowing the rally to proceed on the scheduled date and time. However, the court issued a condition that the event must be conducted in a way that does not cause inconvenience to the exam candidates, stressing that the program should be carried out responsibly without any disturbance.
