Kolkata, 03 July (H.S.) : The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee and the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to file affidavits within four weeks in connection with a contempt petition alleging violation of a court order during the party's July 21 Shahid Diwas rally in 2025.

A division bench comprising Justice Arijit Banerjee and Justice Apurba Sinha Ray asked both leaders to place their responses on record through affidavits. The petitioner has been granted two weeks thereafter to file a reply affidavit. The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 17.

According to the petition, the Trinamool Congress allegedly violated a 2018 order of the Calcutta High Court by completely blocking major roads in Kolkata during the July 21, 2025 Shahid Diwas rally.

The plea referred to a division bench order passed in May 2018, which had directed that no major public road could be fully closed during political meetings or rallies. The court had specifically ruled that adequate passage must always be kept open for pedestrians and emergency service vehicles.

Advocate Srikanta Dutta, who filed the contempt petition on June 19, alleged that major roads in the Esplanade area of Kolkata were completely blocked during the Shahid Diwas rally, resulting in a violation of the High Court's earlier directions.

The division bench had earlier issued notices to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee seeking their responses to the petition. On Friday, the court directed both leaders to submit their affidavits within four weeks and fixed August 17 as the next date of hearing.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh