A division bench of the Calcutta High Court instructed the West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police to ensure complete security for public political events of opposition party elected representatives. The Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, had sought court intervention to safeguard the political events of BJP legislators and parliamentarians from hostility by Trinamool Congress activists. The court’s directive emphasized the need for security for opposition public representatives’ political programs.
The Calcutta High Court’s division bench, led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, directed the state and city police to provide absolute security for opposition party public representatives’ political events. The court mandated strict adherence to its instructions until the next hearing on February 18. The court’s decision aimed to prevent unwarranted hostility and resistance faced by BJP representatives during their public programs.
The Leader of Opposition alleged frequent hostilities, violence, and resistance by Trinamool Congress activists towards BJP’s elected representatives during public political events. Despite prior intimation to the police, such incidents of hostility persisted, showcasing a failure in maintaining law and order by the police and administration. These incidents, according to the Leader of Opposition, have become common post the 2021 Assembly elections in the state.
The opposition leader’s convoy has been attacked multiple times by Trinamool Congress activists since 2021, leading to increased security measures by the Union Home Ministry. Last year, BJP Lok Sabha member Khagen Murmu and the chief whip of the BJP’s legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly, Sankar Ghosh, were severely injured in an attack on their convoy, highlighting the escalating tensions during political events.
