On Tuesday, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh of the Calcutta High Court granted permission to Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and BJP MLA Ashok Dinda to visit the violence-hit Mothabari area of West Bengal on April 11.

Mayukh Mukherjee, counsel for the petitioners, submitted, “Only two persons, with security and three convoys including their driver, will require permission.”

Recently, citing prohibitory orders, the police had stopped a BJP delegation under the leadership of state party president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar three kilometre from Mothabari in West Bengal’s Malda district, which witnessed a communal clash on March 27.

Trouble began after a religious procession passed by a place of worship in Mothabari on the evening of March 26, according to residents. Violence, including arson, vandalism and physical attacks reportedly took place.

After hearing both sides, the court granted permission to the two BJP leaders for visiting four places in Mothabari, namely Ganga Prasad, Uttar Laxmipur, Hamidpur and Mothabari. They will be allowed to visit between 10 am and 3 pm.

“Since the petitioner is in the Z category, security with the petitioner and those in vehicles will inform in advance to the officer-in-charge. Adequate trained police will be deployed. And SP Malda will monitor the situation and deploy further forces if required so that no untoward incidents occur,” the court said.

The court further ordered that Adhikari would interact with people at the four places and that there would not be any procession or public speech — ordering a compliance report on April 17.