Members of a group called the West Bengal Labour Department Self Employed Welfare Association moved a petition before Justice Jay Sengupta of Calcutta High Court on Monday seeking an order directing police to allow them to hold a dharna in front of the Writers' Buildings.
The judge issued a directive asking the state authorities to submit their view in regard to the petitioners' demand by next Monday.
While delivering the order, the judge remarked that "if some people are allowed to hold their dharna in front of the governor's house, what prompted police not to allow others to hold a dharna in front of the Writers' Buildings"?
The ruling Trinamul Congress has been holding a dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan, led by its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
Bengal's leader of the Opposition, Subhendu Adhikari, had alleged that the police had allowed the Trinamul dharna on a place covered under Section 144 of the CrPC, where an assembly of more than four people was not allowed.
The BJP moved another petition before another bench of the same court during the day, but the division bench presided by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam refused to hear it as the party failed to file a formal petition before the filing section.
The association members want to hold a dharna demanding "proper salary".
The group has applied to the police asking their permission to hold the programme in front of the Writers' Buildings.
After the police declined permission to them, they moved the court.
