Don’t create communal distinction between Dussehra and Muharram, Calcutta High Court slams Mamata Banerjee.

Calcutta High Court slams Mamata Banerjee govt over Durga Puja idol immersion restriction in West Bengal.

Don’t Draw Communal Line Between Hindus And Muslims: High Court Tells Bengal Government.

Upanayan Das | HENB | Kolkata | Sept 20, 2017::  Just two days after the shameless Mamata Banerjee’s reaction to the Calcutta High Court’s observation on handling of religious festivals, the high court blasted the West Bengal government over its latest notification on Durga idol immersion. According to an PTI report, the high court asked the state not to divide communities on religious lines.

Questioning the West Bengal government’s curbs on Durga idol immersion, the Calcutta High Court today said the state cannot hinder a citizen’s right to practice religion on the basis of a mere assumption of law and order disruption and must provide sound reasons for doing so.

“Let them (Hindus and Muslims) live in harmony, do not create a line between them,” Acting Chief Justice Rakesh Tiwary said, asking the government to provide a “concrete ground” for its decision to stop the immersion of Durga idols after 10 pm on September 30 (Vijaya Dashami day) and on October 1 on account of Muharram.

Hearing three PILs challenging the restrictions on immersion of idols at the end of the five-day Durga Puja, a bench, also comprising Justice Harish Tandon, said a mere assumption that a law-and-order situation might arise, owing to Vijaya Dashami and Muharram falling one after the other, could not be the basis of imposing curbs on immersion timings.

Observing that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had herself told a public meeting that Hindus and Muslims lived together in harmony in the state, the bench said, “Listen to what the head of the state says and not a police officer.”

“People have the right to practice their religious activities, whichever community they may be of, and the state cannot put restrictions, unless it has a concrete ground to believe that two communities cannot live together,” the acting chief justice said.

“You must clarify why are you apprehending a law-and-order situation,” the bench told state Advocate General (AG) Kishore Dutta, who claimed that it was the administration’s prerogative to decide on steps to prevent any untoward situation.

“Public order and law-and-order are administrative issues,” Dutta submitted, while claiming that the court’s interference in it would amount to trudging into the administration’s domain.

The West Bengal government has imposed restrictions on Durga idol immersions on September 30, Vijaya Dashami, after 10 PM and no immersion would be allowed on October 1, the day Muharram is scheduled to be observed.

The bench said the administration could regulate the routes for the immersion processions to follow and those through which the ‘Tajia’ processions of Muharram would pass.

“In the interest of maintaining law-and-order and in order to prevent an untoward incident, the administration can regulate a religious congregation or procession,” the AG submitted before the court.

“It is a preventive action to rule out any possibility of a law-and-order situation,” he said.

The court observed that it was not disputing the state’s right to regulate, but the administration could not restrict the observance of one’s religious rights.

“We are asking you to eliminate the element of arbitrariness and provide a concrete ground for your action,” the bench said.

“If you say there is complete harmony, are you (the state administration) not creating a line of division between the two communities by your action?” asked Justice Tandon.

When the AG reiterated that the state had taken the decision to prevent any untoward incident, the acting chief justice observed, “Let them live in harmony, do not create a line between them.”

Even the court wanted to know further whether there is any reports from any SP to DM that reflected any possibility to breach of law and order.

In a certain point the Court told the state advocate whether the WB Govt would issue any vacate order of Calcutta High Court on a mere assumption of a break down of a satellite on it.

Acting Chief Justice Rakesh Tiwary gave examples that his many friends of both communities observed Holi and Bakri Eid same time without any problem. Justice Tiwary asked the state advocate, what would Mamata’s Govt do if the Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) and Muharram slotted on a same day?

The court further said it was advocating peace, harmony and living together.

The hearing in the three PILs was concluded and the order is scheduled to be passed tomorrow on Thursday.

Read this in Bengali: কীসের ভিত্তিতে বিসর্জন-নিষেধাজ্ঞা? রাজ্যকে ক্ষুব্ধ হাইকোর্ট, কাল রায়দান 

__Inputs from PTI and ABP Ananda.

One comment on “Don’t create communal distinction between Dussehra and Muharram, Calcutta High Court slams Mamata Banerjee.”

1. s.k. majumdar

   September 21, 2017

   

   Ms.Mamata Banerjee thought that she is the supreme power in West Bengal to decide how the rituals of hindus will be followed with restrictions imposed by her with an ulterior motive to appease the muslims in Bengal. But she was mistaken, there is a Supreme Authority , KOLKATA HIGH COURT under the instructions of which she has to obey the laws of the land within the limit of Constitution of India

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