Calcutta HC pulls up Didi’s govt over trust vote in civic body

KOLKATA:

Calcutta high court

on Friday took to task the Bengal government and the North 24 Pargana

municipality

of Bongaon for not following in letter and spirit its earlier order in which the court had allowed two BJP councillors to vote.

The judiciary would have to “rectify... if the government did something wrong” or else “democracy would crumble”, the HC observed.

It was hearing a BJP petition alleging Bongaon municipality chairman

Sankar Adhya

and his supporters had prevented the two councillors from entering the municipality during a no-trust vote against him on Tuesday despite the court’s earlier orders. The HC said it was “prima facie of the opinion” that the vote in Bongaon should be held again. It will hear the case again on Monday.

Reserving some of the harshest words for Adhya, Justice Samapti Chatterjee said: “People have elected you to get service. Why are you holding on to the chair? You have to face the trust vote when you do not have a majority. Why are you so shameless? A majority of councillors is against you. You should give up.”