Kolkata police denies permission for rally, RSS to move court

Kolkata police today denied the permission for RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's rally, proposed to be conducted on January 14 in the city, and asked the outfit to fix an alternative date, even as the Sangh would move the court tomorrow in protest.
"Kolkata police has officially communicated to RSS its decision not to accord permission to the proposed rally either at Brigade Parade Ground or at Bhukailash Maidan on January 14," Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner (III) and DC Headquarters Supratim Sarkar said.
"They have been asked to fix an alternative date for the rally," Sarkar said.
Calcutta High Court yesterday directed the Kolkata Police commissioner to consider within 24 hours an application on behalf of the RSS for permission to hold a rally to be addressed by Mohan Bhagwat.

RSS state unit spokesperson Jishnu Basu told reporters that they would move the court tomorrow and they were hopeful that the court would allow them to organise it.
Asked if the court ruling went against them, state RSS chief Bidyut Mukherjee said, "We will honour each and every word of the court. But if we are not allowed to hold the public meeting, we will organise the programme in other form".
On the police asking them to find an alternative date, Basu said, "We had applied for police permission in the last week of December. The police had been sitting on our application and at the last moment, now they are giving lame excuses".

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will arrive here tomorrow to attend a two-day internal meeting of the organisation.