Kolkata Police notification prohibiting gathering in heart of city sparks protests

Kolkata Police's prohibitory orders spark protests, opposition parties and civil rights groups criticize move to curb dissent.

A fresh notification by Kolkata Police imposing prohibitory orders in the heart of Kolkata, including parts of Esplanade, has sparked fresh protests with political parties in the Opposition and civil rights groups alleging that the move is to curb protests over the R.G. Kar rape and murder incident.

The youth and women wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front have approached the Calcutta High Court against the notification.

An order signed by Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita says that prohibitory orders will be imposed in the areas of Bowbazar Police Station, Hare Street Police, and Headquarters Traffic Guard for a period of two months starting September 25, 2024.

Though the Kolkata Police had imposed prohibitory orders in areas around R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital during the recent protests, imposing such orders now in the heart of the city ahead of Durga Puja festivities has evoked strong criticism by both protesting doctors and Opposition leaders. The places mentioned in the notification are considered most crowded in the city with thousands of commuters navigating the areas daily.

Former State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and party leader Pradip Bhattacharya had held protests at Esplanade over the rape and murder of a doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. Another protest had been organised by the youth wing of CPI(M), where its state secretary Minakshi Mukherjee was present.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tried to justify the directive and said that everything was being challenged in courts. She targeted former Kolkata Mayor and senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya for challenging such directives of the State government in the courts. The Chief Minister said that she cannot make any comments on the courts but emphasised that law and order was a State subject and the responsibility of ensuring that Durga Puja remains peaceful lies with her government.

“The order violates the Supreme Court directive where it has allowed protests by citizens over the R.G. Kar rape and murder. Such a blanket prohibitory order violates the rights of people. There is some insidious motive behind such a directive,” said advocate Shamim Ahmed, who is representing those opposing the order before the High Court.