The Calcutta High Court on Monday was all praises for the way the Kolkata Police managed traffic on the day of the Shaheed Diwas rally being led by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which attracted lakhs of people from different parts of the state.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh observed, “The roads have been maintained very well. I always say that I have full faith in the Kolkata police,” while presenting the police with a certificate.
A lawyer from New Alipore agreed, claiming that he had reached the court from his residence at the same time as on other days in his car.
However, at the same time, Justice Ghosh expressed his disappointment over the absence of lawyers from the courtroom. On Monday, the Bar Association had appealed to the Chief Justice not to give any verdict in a case if one of the parties do not appear. Referring to the matter, the Justice observed, “The court’s work cannot proceed like this. I do not believe that the road conditions are not such today that we cannot reach the court by 10:30 am. You are spoiling the work atmosphere.”
The court on Friday had directed that all processions heading to the TMC’s rally at Central Kolkata’s Dharmatala on July 21 must reach the venue by 8 am or after 11 am to ensure the smooth flow of traffic through Central Kolkata during rush hours.
“From 9 am to 11 am, the police authorities would ensure that there is no traffic congestion through the routes which lead to the High Court at Calcutta or within a fringe of 5 km where offices are situated at the Central Kolkata… Commissioner of Police, Kolkata would ensure that deployment of police force be adequately maintained to ensure smooth traffic movement,” said the court’s order.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, on Thursday, in a verbal observation, had urged the TMC to choose a different venue for the Martyrs’ Day rally from next year, such as Shahid Minar, the Brigade Parade Ground, or the Salt Lake Stadium. The court had been hearing a petition filed by a group of lawyers alleging potential inconvenience to commuters due to the rally.
The annual Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day rally commemorates the death of 13 Youth Congress workers in 1993 after the police resorted to lathi-charge and opened fire at protesters, demanding that voter ID be made the sole document required for voting. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, then a leader of the Youth Congress, was leading the protest demonstration.