High court rejects BJP dharna plan near main gate of state secretariat Nabanna
Telegraph | 16 January 2026
Justice Suvra Ghosh of the high court on Thursday refused to allow the BJP to proceed with its proposed dharna near the main gate of the state secretariat Nabanna.
The judge said that the party may organise its event from 10am to 4pm at Mandirtala bus stand in Howrah, about 1.5km from Nabanna.
The state’s leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, and his party cadres had moved the high court after police denied them permission to hold the dharna.
A few days ago, several Trinamool Congress MPs had staged a protest outside the Union home minister’s office in Delhi against the Enforcement Directorate’s raids on the office of I-PAC, the political consultancy that works with the Trinamool Congress, and the home of its chief, Pratik Jain.
Sources said the Nabanna march announced by Opposition leader Adhikary was a “counter-move” to the demonstration.
Nabanna is a “protected area”, so no party or group will be allowed to hold demonstrations there, the police said.
Sources said that “sufficient measures” will be in place to thwart any attempt by the BJP to penetrate the boundaries of Nabanna.