12 Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday criticised state education minister Bratya Basu's security arrangement on the day his convoy was attacked at Jadavpur University. The court asked, "How many PSOs (personal securities) of the minister were injured?"
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh told senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee that ministers had personal securities and "if someone touched the minister's body, it should have been by crossing the personal security concerned". " What is the use of having security then? I would have understood had the security been overpowered and injured, and they reached the minister… It is the intelligence agencies' duty to alert. Once a person accepts the cabinet post, he has to follow the protocol," the judge said. Pointing out he would hold the state responsible in the JU matter, Justice Ghosh told Banerjee, "I told AG as well it's a complete failure and reluctance on the part of police."
Banerjee sought for the hearing to take place on March 13 instead of March 12 as he would argue the case instead of Advocate-General Kishore Datta. Banerjee said a 2014 order directed the posting of four police pickets there. "No outsider should be allowed to enter without permission. If anything happens cops will take steps. The university has not done anything," he said. "In a university or a college, as a matter of policy, no cop is posted unless administration informs."
After Justice Ghosh said the court was "maligned" by the way Banerjee had on March 4 made his submission while arguing a case against former Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, Banerjee, with folded hands, said, "If you feel this court has been maligned, I will not appear..." Justice Ghosh tried to say Banerjee was taking it personally but Banerjee did not seem in a mood to understand. " Criticism is everywhere," Banerjee said. Justice Ghosh said he wouldn't mind if there was "constructive criticism". Banerjee said, "Trolling is one part. One has to accept it." he added, "If your lordship thinks I have maligned the court, I will not appear before this court as long as I am in practice." Asking him to appear for the JU case on March 13, Justice Ghosh said, "But you will appear for this matter," "No, I will not. Thank you, sir," said Banerjee.
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