Kolkata: Stung by the Calcutta High Court order banning rallies and processions, the Left Front government in West Bengal on September 30 decided to challenge it, while the state Congress termed the verdict unacceptable and said it was also contemplating legal recourse.

Saying that the order by a single-judge Bench had put the administration in a difficult situation, Law Minister Nisith Adhikary said, "We will appeal against the order to the Division Bench on behalf of the Kolkata Police."

He said that the order had affected Article 19 to 21 of the Constitution granting freedom of speech and expression, right to assemble peaceably without arms and right to life and liberty, thus leaving many aggrieved, Adhikary said.

The state Congress chief Pranab Mukherjee said that his party was contemplating legal recourse against the order which "will infringe on the Democratic rights of the people".

"It is not possible to accept the court ruling," he said, adding that he was consulting lawyers to ascertain whether, as a political party, the Congress could challenge the ruling.

City Mayor and senior Trinamool Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee also urged all political parties to challenge the judgement claiming that it was an interference in the fundamental rights of people.

The single-judge Bench of Justice Amitava Lala banned rallies and processions in the city on weekdays between 08:00 hours and 20:00 hours (IST) with a directive to the Kolkata Police to allow them only on Sundays and public holidays with prior permission.

PTI