Softening its stand over the ban on rallies and protest demonstrations at College Square in Central Kolkata, the Kolkata Police has decided to allow such gatherings on Sundays.
Agitations and protest demonstrations were banned at College Square, a hub of educational institutions, from June 5 on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instructions.
College Square, a park of half a square kilometer area on College Street, has been a hotbed of political activities and agitations since the early 19th century. The Chief Minister’s decision had generated strong reactions from both Opposition parties and the civil society.
“We have decided to allow meetings and protest demonstrations at College Square on Sundays when the educational institutes are closed. We will issue a notification tomorrow [Monday] in this regard,” Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar told journalists on Sunday. However, he clarified that the ban on gatherings at College Square will remain in force from Monday to Saturday. Mr. Kumar also said that the reason behind the ban was the “inconvenience to students of nearby schools.”
Rights organisation Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) said the Commissioner’s announcement was a “ploy to hoodwink the people” and demanded that rallies be allowed every day at College Square.
