Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction moves Cal HC seeking nod for July 21 rally

Kolkata, Jul 10 (PTI) The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction on Friday filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court praying that their July 21 Martyrs' Day rally be allowed in front of Victoria House at Esplanade. Lawyer Sirsanya Banerjee, representing the Mamata Banerjee-led group, said the petition challenged the imposition of prohibitory order under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) by the Kolkata Police authorities. Stating that an application for permission to hold the martyrs' day rally, which the TMC holds every year in front of Victoria House at Esplanade, has been kept pending by the police authorities, Banerjee said that a prayer has been made before the high court seeking that it be allowed to be held at the same venue on July 21. The matter is likely to come up for hearing before a single bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya next week. A dissident group led by MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, has also said that it will hold the martyrs' day rally on July 21. The dissident faction was formed after the West Bengal assembly election result declared on May 4. PTI AMR RG