Supreme Court rejected Bengal BJP's plea to allow loudspeakers in residential areas in the state
The Supreme Court today rejected a plea by the West Bengal BJP to set aside the Calcutta High Court's 2013 order, which had banned the use of loudspeakers in residential areas in the state. The top court said that children's studies were more important than election campaigns.
The Bengal BJP had filed the plea, claiming that it was an attempt by the Trinamool Congress government to "muzzle" its voice and "violated" the party's constitutional right to garner public support ahead of the Lok Sabha elections expected in May.
The setback comes amid the BJP's bitter fight with the Trinamool Congress in the run-up to the general elections.
The Narendra Modi government and Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government were recently locked in a legal battle in the Supreme Court over the former's proposed 'rath yatra' in different parts of West Bengal. The BJP's rallies were not given permission by the state government, claiming that it would create law and order problems.
A full-blown face-off between the Bengal government and the Centre erupted after a CBI team moved to arrest Kolkata Police Commissioner, Rajeev Kumar on February 3. The probe agency's officials were denied entry to the top cop's residence and were even detained briefly.
Escalating her confrontation with the Centre, Ms Banerjee started her ''Save the Constitution'' dharna on the same evening to protest against what the TMC called a "coup" by the Centre.
Ms Banerjee ended her sit-in protest after three days and said that she would take her fight against the central government to Delhi in the coming days.