RSS rally is happening after the Calcutta High Court allowed it.
As West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fights a battle with the centre on demonetisation, another front has opened up in the state as well.
The Kolkata Police had refused permission for a rally the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS wanted to hold in Kolkata with its head Mohan Bhagwat as chief guest. But that rally is happening after the Calcutta High Court allowed it. The court though has laid down many conditions including a cap of 4,000 invitees to the event.
For the RSS, it's a significant legal victory as not only did the court give it permission to hold a rally today at Brigade Parade ground in the heart of the city, but also it issued a suo moto contempt notice top the Commissioner of Kolkata Police for what the judge described as 'insolence."
On the other hand, Imam Nurur Rehman Barkati considered close to Mamata Banerjee, issued more fatwas. He had issued a fatwa against Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month.
"You want a Fatwa? Here it is all Muslims in the BJP to be excommunicated... All Muslims in UP should not vote for the BJP and RSS... All Muslims in the BJP should be excommunicated, the Inam announced at a press conference."
"It is shameful. An imam of a mosque is giving a medieval fatwa to stone people. We should stop this," said RSS leader Dr Jishnu Basu.
But as Trinamool battles the BJP and he RSS, perhaps what it won't admit it is concern about the growth of RSS in Bengal in the last five years.
The RSS claims its strength has doubled since 2011 from 50,000 members to one lakh today. In 2011, RSS held 1000 daily shakhas or meetings with supporters. Today, there are 1500 shakhas a day. Weekly shakhas are up from 250 to 800. And monthly shakhas to have increased from 200 to 750.
In its press meet on Friday, the RSS quite suddenly brought up recent communal eruptions in parts of Bengal like Dhulagarh which will not go down with the Trinamool. The Trinamool blames the RSS and the BJP for instigating these flare ups.
The CPI(M) blames Mamata Banerjee for the growth of the RSS in Bengal. "This is happening in partnership with Mamata Banerjee. An event is not allowed and the RSS automatically gets publicity for it. This is all about Modibhai and Didibhai working together," CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty told NDTV.