Kolkata, 17 September (H.S.);: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday permitted Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to address a political meeting at the Court Maidan in Serampore, Hooghly, on September 26, subject to several conditions.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya directed that the programme be held between 4 pm and 6 pm and that the number of attendees be restricted to a maximum of 1,000. The court also barred any procession on GT Road and directed the organisers to ensure that vehicular movement on the busy thoroughfare was not disrupted.

The Kalighat Trinamool Congress had sought permission for a gathering of around 2,000 people. The state government opposed the request, arguing that the Court Maidan area was relatively small and that security arrangements for Banerjee, who is a former chief minister, would require a portion of the available space to remain vacant. The state contended that allowing 2,000 people into the remaining area could create a risk of overcrowding.

Appearing for the Trinamool Congress, senior advocate and party MP Kalyan Banerjee disputed the state's argument and pointed to previous large gatherings at the venue. After hearing both sides, the court fixed the maximum attendance at 1,000.

The latest order follows a series of legal proceedings over a proposed Trinamool programme in Mahesh earlier this month. The party had initially planned a procession followed by a meeting at Snanpiri Maidan in Mahesh on September 11, with Mamata Banerjee scheduled to attend.

Justice Bhattacharyya's single bench had earlier permitted the meeting at Snanpiri Maidan, while prohibiting the proposed procession. The Jagannath Temple Trust Board subsequently challenged the order before a division bench, contending that the ground was private property and that a decision had been taken not to permit political programmes there.

The division bench headed by Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge subsequently sent the matter back to the single bench for reconsideration after taking into account the concerns raised by the field authorities. The proposed September 11 programme was consequently postponed.

Following the fresh hearing, the single bench has now permitted the programme at the Serampore Court Maidan on September 26, with the revised attendance and timing restrictions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey