Calcutta HC permits Trinamool factions to celebrate student wing foundation day separately

Kolkata, Aug 25 (IANS) A single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted permission to both factions of the Trinamool Congress to separately celebrate the foundation day of the party’s students wing, Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), on August 28, but not at the place of choice of any faction.

Both factions approached the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya with pleas seeking to organise an event at Mayo Road in central Kolkata, where it was organised when the previous ruling party in West Bengal was not divided into two factions.

However, on Tuesday, Justice Bhattacharya’s bench did not permit either faction to organise the event at Mayo Road.

The original but minority faction led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, was permitted to organise the event at Cathedral Road in Central Kolkata.

The rebel but majority faction led by the expelled party legislator and current Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Ritabrata Banerjee, was permitted to organise the event at Rani Rashmoni Road, also in central Kolkata but at a distance from Cathedral Road.

Justice Bhattacharya’s bench imposed a set of conditions for both factions for organising their respective events. Neither faction has been allowed to arrange an assembly of over 1,500 participants at their respective events.

Justice Bhattacharya also directed the Kolkata Police to make adequate security arrangements for both the events.

The timings for both the events have been fixed between noon and 3 p.m. The names of 15 volunteers from each faction should be provided to the Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police by 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

As per the court order, both events should be restricted to one lane at the permitted venues, with the second lane at both venues kept free for traffic movements.

TMCP has always been organising its foundation day celebration programme at Mayo Road. There used to be no problems when Mamata Banerjee was the Chief Minister. But this time the situation is different. The Trinamool Congress was ousted from power in the 2026 Assembly elections, and subsequently the party, founded by Mamata Banerjee, split into two factions.

–IANS

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