Calcutta HC allows RSS rally in Bardhaman, sets aside Bengal govt objection
Kolkata, Feb 14 (PTI): Setting aside objections of the West Bengal government, the Calcutta High Court on Friday granted conditional permission to RSS to hold a rally in Purba Bardhaman district on February 16.
Organisers of the rally, which RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to address, had moved court after the state authorities denied permission on grounds that the use of loudspeakers during the ongoing Madhyamik Pariksha (secondary exams) would cause disturbance to examinees.
The bench of Justice Amrita Sinha granted permission for the rally, planned on Sunday when no exams are scheduled, provided the organisers kept a check on the strength of the attending crowd as well as on the volume of the sound boxes and ensure that examinees appearing for the ongoing secondary exams and the upcoming higher secondary exams are not inconvenienced.
The event, where the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Sarsanghchalak is supposed to address volunteers and their family members for an hour and fifteen minutes, from 11 am to 12.15 pm, would be held inside the Sports Authority of India (SAI) complex in the Talit area of the district, the petitioner submitted.
Appearing on behalf of the RSS, Centre's deputy solicitor general Diraj Trivedi argued that the organisation has already secured permission from SAI authorities to host the event which would be held over a plot of 5,000 square feet, a mere fraction of the 7.2 lakh square feet area of the said complex.
The petitioner's counsel further submitted that the organisers, faced with objection from district authorities, have decided to replace loudspeakers with sound boxes and held that sound would remain limited to within the event surroundings.
"The only two schools, which are close to the venue are about one and two kilometres away, respectively. The venue is uninhabited and we do not come under the purview of the state order that prohibits the use of loudspeakers during examination times," Trivedi argued.
Referring to the February 2022 state environment department notification that prohibits the use of loudspeakers and public address systems three days prior to the commencement of secondary and HS exams in areas where educational institutions are located, Advocate General Kishor Dutta submitted that the organisers have informed usage of 45 sound boxes to address a gathering of about 10,000 people.
"The said notice was issued in compliance with an order passed by this very court in August 1998. The petitioner should have been aware of the imposition of such restrictions during exam periods and ought to have scheduled their event outside the period of the prohibitory order," Dutta submitted.
The court observed that the date of the event does fall during the period of the ongoing secondary examinations conducted by the state board.
"However, as the event has been scheduled on a Sunday for only one hour and fifteen minutes, and according to the instruction of the state respondent, the nearest school is nearly 500 metres away from the complex, accordingly the court permits the petitioner to conduct the event in such a manner that it does not cause any convenience to any of the examinees who may be busy with their examination preparation," the court stated in its order.
"The petitioner should try to behave in a responsible manner and ensure that the sound is kept to the minimum level so as not to cause any difficulty to any person," the order added.
This is the second time that the RSS moved the high court to secure permission for its event in the state.
Earlier, in January 2017, the Calcutta High Court quashed the city police's denial of permission to the organisation to hold a two-day 'Hindu Sammelan' at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata where Bhagwat was the key speaker.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
