Suvendu Adhikari approaches Calcutta HC against movement restriction order

Kolkata, July 7 The leader of the opposition of West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Friday approached a single- judge bench of the Calcutta High Court against the movement restriction order imposed by the state administration and the state election commission on him on polling day for panchayat polls on Saturday.

Adhikari was forwarded a communique late Thursday evening by the inspector-in-charge of the local Contain police station Amalendu Biswas directing the latter to remain constrained in the area under 'Part No.76, Nandanayakbar of Nandigram constituency' in East Midnapore district, where is Adhikari is a voter.

He was also barred from even entering his polling booth with the security personnel that he is entitled for as the leader of the opposition.

On Friday morning only Adhikari approached the Calcutta High Court's single- judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha challenging the restriction order.

The matter will come for hearing in the second half on Friday only.

"The order was clearly intended at restricting my movement as the leader of the opposition so that the ruling party activists can resort to rampant election malpractices on the polling day. They have been trying to restrict my movement since the beginning and the office of the state election commission is acting as a puppet for the ruling party on this count. So I have decided to approach the Calcutta High Court," Adhikari told newspersons on Friday morning.

The leader of the opposition is also an elected BJP legislator from Nandigram Assembly constituency, where he was elected in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls defeating the-then Trinamool Congress candidate and the current chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Later the chief minister made an entry to the Assembly after getting elected in a by-election from Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in Kolkata. During the campaign phase, Adhikari has once and again announced that he will be moving around throughout the state on the polling day of July 8 to ensure that there are no attempts to vitiate the process of free and fair polls.