The Calcutta High Court has directed the authorities concerned in West Bengal to ensure that guidelines issued by the state's Health and Family Welfare Department are followed while holding the Martyrs' Day rally by the ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday.
Claiming that around 15 to 20 lakh people are going to attend the rally at Esplanade in Kolkata, amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the state, a prayer was made before the court in a PIL to direct the state to take adequate measures, and enforce rules to conduct the programme virtually or follow strict guidelines for holding the event.
Advocate General SN Mookherjee, appearing for the state, informed the division bench presided by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava that the Health and Family Welfare Department has come out with guidelines for conducting the rally and those wanting to attend it.
The advisory said that only asymptomatic and fully vaccinated people should preferably attend public gatherings, adhering to Covid-appropriate behaviour.
The bench, also comprising Justice R Bharadwaj, directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the guidelines are followed while holding the public meeting on Thursday on the occasion of Martyrs' Day.
Disposing of the PIL, the court also directed the state authorities to take all possible steps to ensure that such a gathering may not lead to the spread of COVID-19 in the state and that the rally is held in a peaceful atmosphere.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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