Calcutta High Court seeks report on ‘egging’ incidents, asks govt to form guidelines

Amid the recent flurry of ‘egg pelting’ events against several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders after the West Bengal assembly elections, the Calcutta High Court has now directed the state government to formulate guidelines regarding such unique incidents that have created a sensation acorss the political spectrum.

The court has asked the government to submit an affidavit detailing the number of such incidents that have occurred in the recent months and the measures taken in their response.

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The court’s direction came on Tuesday in response to the TMC filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking justice so that such practices of egg-pelting at party leaders and workers can be prevented.

During the hearing before Acting Chief Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, TMC counsel Kalyan Banerjee requested an interim order, however the judges rejected the plea.

Acting Chief Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty asked the state government’s counsel, “We should start out with creating social awareness. What are the steps that have been taken? What is the point of arresting just one or two individuals?”

“Ensuring everyone’s safety is the government’s responsibility,” Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee added.

Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumdar, the counsel for the state government, argued, “We have stated that no one should take law into their own hands. How can we take action if no complaint is lodged?”

In response, Trinamool counsel Kalyan Banerjee said, “The police themselves are engaging in egg-pelting; what can the public do? An interim order should be issued. Such attacks are occurring even in places like the airport. Ministers are advocationg such egg pelting incidents. What action has the government taken?”

Incidents of egg-pelting were reported among a wide array of TMC leaders, including party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh.