A banner announcing Das Munshi’s meeting in Cooch Behar town. (Main Uddin Chisti)

Cooch Behar, March 10: The Bharat Bangladesh Enclaves’ Exchange Coordination Committee has accused the Cooch Behar district administration of “double-standard” for allowing the Congress to hold a public meeting using microphones while denying it the opportunity before the board exams.

The committee has also threatened to launch a movement if the district authorities allow Congress MP Deepa Das Munshi to address a public meeting at Sahidbag in Cooch Behar town on March 13.

Even though the Congress has reportedly obtained permission from the Sadar subdivisional officer (SDO) for Das Munshi’s meeting, district magistrate Smaraki Mahapatra said under no circumstances should microphones be used in the March 13 meeting in view of the coming Higher Secondary exams.

Assistant secretary of the committee Diptiman Sengupta said his organisation had on March 8 written to the Dinhata SDO for allowing them to hold a street corner meeting either on March 12 or 13.

“But the SDO had denied us the permission in view of the coming Higher Secondary exams. We wonder how the administration now allows the Congress to hold a public meeting on March 13. We will not tolerate this double-standard,” Sengupta said.

He said he had submitted a memorandum to the Dinhata SDO this morning explaining his point of view. “If Das Munshi is allowed to address a public meeting, we will also defy government orders and hold our meeting the same day.”

Chiranjeeb Ghosh, the SDO of Dinhata, said the place of Congress’s public meeting was not under his jurisdiction. “I cannot comment on how a political party could be allowed to hold a public meeting four days before the Higher Secondary exams.”

The official iterated that he would certainly not allow any political party or organisation to hold rallies in any place within his jurisdiction before or during the board examinations.

The district magistrate, however, said she was not aware of the permission given to Das Munshi’s meeting. “I will look into it.”