Justice Debangshu Basak appointed the director general of state Fire Services and joint commissioner (development) of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) as special officers and asked the city police commissioner to depute an appropriate officer to assist them to ensure compliance of rules.
Hearing a petition by the BJP alleging unreasonable denial of permission to hold the rally by KMC and fire services department, Justice Basak observed that this is the first attempt by a political party to comply with fire and municipal body regulations to hold a public meeting and as such they must be given some leeway.
Disposing the petition, Justice Basak directed the special officers to convene a meeting at 10.30 am tomorrow at the site of the meeting and directed that the petitioners would be represented by two persons only, but may take the help of technicians as necessary.
The West Bengal BJP had moved the court alleging denial by Kolkata Police (KP). The court had then directed the KP commissioner to sit with state BJP leadership to sort out the issue and submit a report on November 20.
The BJP had again moved court seeking direction on the fire and municipal departments to consider their applications, on which the court had directed them to file the application and asked the departments to consider and give a reasoned order by November 27.
Both the departments denied permission for the rally stating that certain provisions had not been complied with.
As such, BJP moved the court again today for the third time on the issue and submitted that it would comply with all norms for holding the rally.