BJP Rally Gains Court Nod Amidst Electricity Bill Dispute

The Calcutta High Court has permitted the BJP to conduct a procession with up to 1,000 supporters on July 26 to CESC's Esplanade office. The demonstration must adhere to noise pollution regulations. This decision follows a denied request to hold the rally on July 22 over alleged electricity bill hikes.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) permission to hold a procession with a maximum of 1,000 supporters on July 26. The rally will march to private power utility CESC's Esplanade office, protesting alleged increases in electricity bills.

The court stipulated that the demonstration must comply with noise pollution regulations and avoid causing public inconvenience. Starting from the BJP office at Muralidhar Sen Lane and ending at Victoria House in Esplanade, the procession is scheduled between 2:30 PM and 5:30 PM.

The petitioner's counsel argued that police had not yet allowed the rally, urging the court to instruct authorities to permit the demonstration. While the court denied a request for holding the rally on July 22, it approved the date of July 26 instead. The West Bengal government's counsel contended that CESC had not raised electricity charges, suggesting the protest was unwarranted and would disrupt public order.

(With inputs from agencies.)