Kolkata, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday stayed the permission granted by a single-judge bench for a public meeting of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Sreerampore, Hooghly district, scheduled for Friday.
Earlier in the day, Justice Saugata Bhattacharya had granted conditional permission for the public meeting, with Mamata Banerjee as the principal speaker, while refusing permission for a proposed public rally following the meeting.
The state government subsequently approached a division bench comprising Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty, seeking clarification on aspects of the single-judge order.
The state government said it had no objection to the meeting itself but raised concerns over the venue, which is privately owned and reportedly used for religious purposes. The government argued that police could not compel the property owner to allow a political programme on private premises.
The owner of the ground had also objected to the proposed political meeting, contending that the premises, being used for religious purposes, should not be used for political activities.
The state counsel told the division bench that if the owner refused permission, the police should not be held responsible for facilitating use of the private property. The state suggested that the programme could instead be shifted to another venue.
After hearing the submissions, the division bench stayed the single-judge order and scheduled further hearing in the matter for Friday at noon.
Chief Justice Ghuge observed that political programmes should also take into account the convenience and interests of the general public. He asked the parties to explore an alternative venue where the event would not cause inconvenience to common people.
“Please find an alternative place,” the Chief Justice said.
The development comes after the single-judge bench had earlier imposed conditions on the proposed meeting, including directions to ensure that no untoward incident occurred during the programme. The division bench’s stay has now put the Friday meeting at the originally proposed venue on hold pending further hearing.
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