HC nod to RSS rally with riders

TT, Calcutta, Jan. 13: Calcutta High Court today directed the city police commissioner to grant permission to the RSS to organise a rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds tomorrow but took cognisance of the police's concerns about law and order and restricted the number of participants to 4,000.

The court initiated contempt proceedings against commissioner Rajeev Kumar on the ground that the joint commissioner, not he, had communicated to the RSS the police's decision not to allow the rally following a directive of the court on Tuesday.

Passing the order, Justice Joymalya Bagchi said today: "They cannot have more than 4,000 participants at the rally. The RSS will have to submit to the court and Calcutta police a list of the members, along with their addresses, who will attend the rally. Each participant will have to carry (his or her) identity card and invitation card.... The police will allow entry only after verification of the documents."

The judge also said the police would have the liberty to remove any participant from the venue in case of indiscipline.

Trinamul leaders declined to comment. The Bengal RSS leadership claimed victory as the matter had become a "prestige issue" for the outfit.

"It's a huge triumph for us. We thank the judiciary," said Jishnu Basu, general secretary of the RSS in south Bengal. "We ask the Bengal government not to behave like this in the future," he added.

Basu said the RSS would not disobey the court's order and although it had "planned to bring over 1 lakh people" to the rally, it would adhere to the restrictions.

The lawyers representing the state government had told the court that permission had not been granted to avoid "chaos" during the rally as the police would not have enough personnel to deploy at Brigade on Saturday because of Sagar Mela, where lakhs of pilgrims converge.