Kolkata, Feb 14 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted permission to the West Bengal unit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to conduct the public meeting in East Burdwan district, but with the sound limit rider. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to address the meeting. After the permission for the meeting was denied, the state unit of RSS approached the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha. After a detailed hearing, Justice Sinha permitted RSS to organise the meeting but with a rider. Fixing the sound limit for the meeting, Justice Sinha said that the decibel limit set by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) should be followed strictly while conducting the meeting.

The state government denied the permission, citing that since the secondary examination conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) is currently underway, there are restrictions on loudspeakers' use. Challenging the state government's contention, the RSS counsel argued at the court that there is no educational institution within a two-kilometre radius of the meeting venue. The state government's contention that the use of microphones will cause inconvenience for the examinees is unacceptable since there is hardly any residential facility near the meeting venue, the RSS counsel argued.

He also submitted to the court that the meeting for a tenure of just 75 minutes from 11 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. will be organised occupying a limited space within the huge venue. In his counterargument, the state government counsel informed the court that there are three schools in that locality, and as per the rule, the use of a microphone is banned from three days before the examinations till the last day of the examination. Justice Sinha said that the meeting could be conducted if the sound does not reach outside, and for that, the decibel limit set by WBPCB will have to be followed.

/IANS