Calcutta High Court allows puja at Kolkata park on Ram Mandir inauguration day

A bench of Justice Jai Sengupta allowed the Kalighat Bahumukhi Seva Samiti to hold the puja at the Deshpran Shasmal Park at Kolkata on Jan 22 subject to the condition that the puja will be performed on a temporary stage and only sixty people will participate in the worship.

Kolkata: Ahead of the upcoming Ram Mandir inauguration, the Calcutta High Court has permitted the Kalighat Bahumukhi Seva Samiti to hold 'Ram Puja' at a temporary stage at the Deshpran Shasmal Park in West Bengal capital Kolkata on Jan 22. In an order issued in this regard, Justice Jai Sengupta of the Calcutta High Court said, “It appears that at least the venue of the programme being the Deshpran Sasmal Park could be agreed upon by the parties. The petitioner is, therefore, permitted to hold the function on 22nd January, 2024 from 9 am to 6 pm on a portion (roughly, half) of the Deshpran Sasmal Park”.

The judge however said that the number of participants in the programme shall not exceed 60. He further directed the police authorities for the necessary help, if required in this regard. The court directed the petitioner to abide by the necessary norms regarding the use of the sound equipment and other laws. The organizers also plan to show live coverage of the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya that day.

But the state objected that there will be problems if the road is blocked at that place. The Kalighat Bahumukhi Seva Samiti filed a plea in the High Court after the police did not give permission for holding Ram puja in Kalighat. Petitioner's lawyer Tarunjyoti Tiwari told the court, "We conveyed our views to the state police through email. But there was no response.

A temporary stage will be erected and the puja will be performed from 9 am to 9 pm." The lawyer of the state said that this puja can be held in Deshpran Shasmal Park only and it is not possible anywhere else. The local municipality said the applicant had sought permission from them via email last Monday.