TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee addresses the gathering at the TMCP foundation day event on Friday
Kolkata: Police on Saturday registered a suo motu FIR against former Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Chhatra Parishad functionaries for allegedly inciting people to break police barricades and jostle with cops, and extending the event beyond the Calcutta HC-mandated 3pm deadline on Aug 28. It alleged criminal conspiracy and violation of court orders during the Aug 28 rally, according to ACP (crime) Kunal Agarwal. Police had filed a similar FIR against Trinamool functionaries over the party’s July 21 Shahid Divas rally where Banerjee was the main speaker. A police statement at the time had said Kolkata Police had initiated legal proceedings against conveners, organisers and supporters of Trinamool for allegedly violating specific conditions set by the Calcutta HC during their July 21 Shahid Divas rally on Cathedral Road and obstructing normal flow of traffic.
An FIR against Mamata Banerjee is completely politically motivated,” he said. That FIR, however, did not mention Banerjee but “TMC organisers”. “Taking suo motu cognisance, the Hastings Police Station registered an official case based on a detailed written complaint submitted by an on-duty sub-inspector who was supervising law and order arrangements at the rally venue,” the police statement read.
The FIR was lodged by sub-inspector Apu Baidya of Hastings PS. Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh called the FIR politically motivated. “We fully respect the HC’s order but the court of people must also be respected. We made every effort to comply with the HC’s order. But if more people show up, it’s the police’s responsibility.
CM Suvendu Adhikari had said on Friday that he had asked cops to lodge an FIR.