High Court Conditions Mamata Banerjee’s Shrirampur Gathering to 1,000 People

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday issued a conditional order allowing former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to hold a public meeting in the Shrirampur Court Ground of Hooghly district on September 26.

Presided over by Justice Sougato Bhatta‑Chary, the single‑judge bench capped the attendance at 1,000 participants, scheduled the event from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and barred any post‑meeting rally or procession. Organisers must also guarantee smooth traffic flow on the adjacent Grand Trunk Road.

Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress had sought permission for a gathering of roughly 2,000 party workers. The state government opposed this, arguing that the site is too narrow and that Z‑plus security for the former chief minister requires a clear buffer zone, warning that exceeding the limit could cause a crush.

Senior advocate Kalya Banerjee, speaking for the TMC, countered that a recent cultural program featuring Shreya Ghoshal at the same ground attracted about 50,000 attendees, suggesting the venue can manage larger crowds.

After hearing both sides, Justice Bhatta‑Chary approved the meeting with the stipulated 1,000‑person maximum. The order follows a prior dispute over a planned rally after a September 11 meeting, which was escalated to the high court after police permission collapsed.

Earlier, the same bench had permitted a gathering at the privately‑owned Snanpiri ground in Mahesh. The Jagannath Temple trust intervened, claiming that the land is private and not open for political events. The case was sent back to Justice Bhatta‑Chary, who subsequently shifted the venue to Shrirampur Court Ground with the new restrictions.