KOLKATA — A local court on Thursday put an interim stay on promulgation of CrPC Section 144 for a public meeting in North Dinajpur district where Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia was to speak on April 5.
VHP district vice-president Tejendra Narayan Bose had moved the court seeking a stay on the promulgation of CrPC Section 144 for the meeting.
"Today there was the hearing of revision petition of the stay order of a rally of Vishva Hindu Parishad by the Sub-Divisional Officer. The judge was pleased to listen to our appeal and gave the stay order," said Tapan Majumdar, the lawyer.
The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government in West Bengal had earlier banned Togadia's entry into the state.
An order issued by the state's Home Ministry earlier on Wednesday said that Togadia's entry may lead to communal tension and disturbance of public tranquility.
Meanwhile senior Congress leader Manas Bhuniya today has said that the ban on the entry of Vishva Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia into West Bengal might create a division on religious lines.
Bhuniya, a former state Congress President, said, "No ban can resist a leader who is followed by many for his ideals on Hindu nationalism," adding whether such a ban would not create a clear division in the state on religious lines.
"Can she (Mamata Banerjee) be able to resist him (Togadia) from propagating his ideals by imposing such a ban? Will her government be able to keep him away from his followers by promulgating such a ban?" Bhuniya said.
"There can be a political battle against his ideals and opinions. Ban could never yield any solution," he said.
Suggesting to the Chief Minister "to be democratic and secular" and "to give due regards to the opposition political parties," Bhuniya said, "Then all social menaces will disappear on their own."
West Bengal government on Wednesday banned the entry of the VHP leader Togadia into the state fearing "communal tension and disruption in public tranquillity."
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