Trinamool holds rally against opposition's 'vandalism'

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Tuesday brought out a rally protesting against "vandalism" during Saturday's civic polls in three municipal bodies by the state's opposition parties CPI-M, BJP and Congress.

Incidentally the rally - which stirred up a traffic chaos - came on a day when the Calcutta High Court expressed its displeasure over political parties holding rallies in the central part of the city on weekdays blocking traffic.

Led by state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim, Power Minister Manish Gupta, Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee party supporters carried placards decrying what they alleged "political conspiracy" hatched by the opposition parties.

"The combined opposition of BJP-CPIM-Congress, which has lost ground in Bengal are now set to destroy the democracy that has returned to the state after 34 years of misrule," said a party leader.

At the end of the rally, Trinamool's secretary general and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee accused the opposition of "conspiring to derail growth".

Addressing the rally, party MP and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek accused a section of media of having a tacit understanding with the opposition leaders.

"A section of media has entered into a tacit understanding with some opposition leaders are trying to stall the development of the state, create division and fuel fire in the state," he said.

Incidentally, the Trinamool has been accused of leading an assault on voters and mediapersons covering the elections to Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. More than 17 journalists, camerapersons and photographers sustained various degree of injury.

Meanwhile the division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi, while hearing a public interest litigation seeking ban on rallies in the central business district, expressed its displeasure on the matter and directed all the political parties to be represented before it on November 27.

The petition was filed by an advocate seeking a ban on political rallies on weekdays in the central parts of the city.