Dharna demanding DA this Sunday from 11 am at Hazra crossing; HC grants permission, orders no more than 1000 participants

The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted conditional permission to the Sangrami Joint Manch to hold a dharna at the busy Hazra intersection in South Kolkata. Justice Saugata Bhattacharya, presiding over the single bench, cleared the forum to hold their gathering on April 12 between 11 am and 3 pm. The dharna is for the immediate settlement of pending DA.

The decision follows a legal challenge by the Manch after the Kolkata Police denied them permission for their preferred route, citing potential traffic congestion and security concerns in the sensitive neighborhood. While the court allowed the meeting to proceed, it imposed strict limitations to minimize public disruption during the high-voltage election season.

Justice Bhattacharya ruled that the gathering must not exceed a maximum of 1,000 participants. Furthermore, the court explicitly denied the Manch's request to hold a procession that was planned to march through Harish Mukherjee Road and S.P. Mukherjee Road. The judge directed the police to ensure that the meeting does not obstruct traffic and mandated the deployment of adequate personnel to maintain law and order.