Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari Wednesday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking permission to visit the violence-affected Dhukiyan and Samshergunj areas in Murshidabad.
The single bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed that the petition be placed before the division bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee as all the other matters related to the issue are placed there. “Tomorrow is the date for the PIL. Since reports will be filed before the division bench, the ground reality will be clear there,” said Justice Ghosh.
During the hearing, Adhikari’s counsel had submitted, “Other political delegations were allowed but we weren’t allowed. A PIL was filed and moved for protection of life. I categorically plead for permission. The PIL and this writ petition are different. The police are not granting us permission.”
On Thursday, PILs were also filed asking for NIA and CBI investigations in the Murshidabad violence case.
The Advocate General for the State submitted, “They (other political parties) went there on their own. We did not give anyone permission. Let the situation calm down a bit. Once he (Adhikari) goes, there will be people coming to him. Who will control them? Central forces are there to instil confidence. On the afternoon of April 12, a PIL was moved. No prayer was made there for visiting the place. On April 12 at about 10.40 am, an email was sent to police asking permission to visit the place. LOP is just a post. He is a simple MLA.”
The counsel for the Director General of Police submitted, “Enough forces have been deployed. Everything is under the division bench. We also have to consider the fact that somebody’s presence will jeopardise the situation. We have to control the situation.”
The single bench, while directing the movement of the petition to the division bench, observed, “For building up confidence, he can visit the place. Will you not allow him to go anytime?”
The writ petition is likely to be heard on an urgent basis.
Stating that it “cannot turn a blind eye” to vandalism in parts of West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Saturday ordered the deployment of central forces in the violence-hit district of Murshidabad where three people were killed and 15 police personnel injured after a protest against the amended Waqf law turned violent on Friday. This came after Adhikari had filed a petition.
Recently, Adhikari had obtained permission from the Court to visit Mothabari in Malda district after he alleged police denied him permission. Violence had broken out in the area during Ram Navami processions.