Calcutta High Court stays Mamata Banerjee's Sreerampore meeting

The Calcutta High Court has stayed a scheduled political meeting by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee in Sreerampore, Hooghly district.

Initially, a single-judge bench under Justice Saugata Bhattacharya granted conditional approval for a public meeting between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., limited to 2,000 participants. The judge denied permission for a proposed rally from Mahesh to Sreerampore Court to prevent traffic congestion on the Grand Trunk Road and prohibited provocative remarks regarding religious sentiments.

However, the state government challenged this single-judge order before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghughe and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty. The division bench subsequently ordered a stay on the meeting following objections that the proposed venue is private property used for religious purposes, with the owner expressing no interest in hosting political events. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on Friday.