Calcutta HC grants permission for RSS rally in Burdwan dismissing Mamata Banerjee government's objection

The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government had denied permission to use the public address system at the rally.

The Calcutta High Court granted permission to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday to hold a rally in West Bengal's Burdwan scheduled for Sunday, February 16.

FILE: RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat arrives to inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of Tapasya Kala Sahitya Vedi, in Kochi, on Tuesday, February. 4, 2025.(PTI)

The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government had denied permission to use the public address system at the rally to be addressed by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

The HC has directed that the "sound should be kept low" because of the ongoing exams in the state. The order comes a day after the RSS moved the High Court being denied permission from the government.

The High Court's ruling comes as a big setback for the state government as it had denied permission to use the public address system or loudspeakers at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) grounds. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had cited the ongoing Class 10 board examinations in the state.

The petitioner argued that there weren’t any schools in close proximity to the rally venue. The court said that the event falls on a Sunday and will be a short one, PTI reported.

Justice Amrita Sinha said that since it is a Sunday and the event will last only 1 hour and 15 minutes, the court does not think that it will cause inconvenience to anyone. It has been ordered to be conducted peacefully and the sound should be kept as low as possible.

Mohan Bhagwat meets parents of the victim of the RG Kar rape and murder case

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat last Saturday met the parents of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August last year, reported news agency PTI.

Mohan Bhagwat was on a scheduled visit to West Bengal and the parents of the victim requested a visit from him. They met at a guest house in Rajarhat, near Kolkata, where Bhagwat was stationed during his stay.

An RSS functionary told PTI that the RSS chief was appalled by the details of the brutalities inflicted on the victim and expressed his solidarity with the parents.

Mohan Bhagwat also vowed to support the family as it was “the need of the hour at the present”, after hearing about their desire to continue to fight for justice.