Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday granted permission to Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Bengal Assembly, to visit Maheshtala in South 24-Parganas district, where violent clashes erupted between two groups last week.
The court also reportedly allowed two other BJP leaders to accompany him during the visit scheduled for Tuesday.
A bench led by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya passed the order after hearing a plea filed by Adhikari. The LoP had earlier submitted applications to the Rabindra Nagar Police Station and the District Superintendent of Police, seeking permission to visit the affected areas under the Rabindra Nagar jurisdiction.
During the hearing, Adhikari’s counsel argued that the prohibitory orders in the area, issued in the wake of the unrest, were set to expire on Monday. The counsel contended that there was no justification for objecting to his client’s visit. Justice Bhattacharyya questioned the state government’s objection, noting that if the LoP faced difficulties in visiting the area, it would raise concerns for the rights of ordinary citizens.
The state counsel, in response, accused Adhikari of using the court for political gain and urged that the judiciary not be used for such purposes.
Despite these objections, the court granted permission for the visit with certain conditions. Adhikari has been barred from conducting any rallies or making controversial statements during his visit. The Maheshtala clashes, which broke out last week, resulted in attacks on police personnel, damage to property and torching of several vehicles.
While police attributed the violence to a local dispute over shop setup, Adhikari alleged the incident was communal, involving encroachment on temple land. Following the unrest, the SDPO and IC of the area were reportedly transferred on June 14.