The Calcutta High Court on Thursday allowed the main Opposition party, the BJP, to hold a rally and a public meeting in Siliguri on July 21, coinciding with the ruling TMC’s annual mega Martyrs’ Day rally in Kolkata.

The bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, however, also imposed conditions — the rally can be held between 11 am to 5 pm; a total of 10,000 people will be allowed to attend the event; the program has to be within the jurisdiction of Tin Bati Mor and Chunbhati Football Ground; and not more than 100 people should take part in the rally.

Last week, the BJP had approached the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court, challenging the decision of the Siliguri Police Commissionerate denying permission for a rally by the party in Siliguri town on July 21 to protest “rising incidents of crime against women” in different parts of the state.

The BJP had planned a rally to Uttarkanya, the state’s north Bengal secretariat in Siliguri, but the court directed that it be held at a ground at Chunabhatti in the north Bengal city.

The state government had argued that possible congestion could occur as large numbers of people would be travelling to Kolkata for the TMC’s programme. The court said that since the rally is scheduled in Kolkata, presumably the participants would reach the state capital by the time this rally is to be held in Siliguri. —WITH PTI INPUTS