Court stays summons to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over disrespecting national anthem

Mumbai: A sessions court on Friday stayed the summons issued to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by a Sewree magistrate over a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party city secretary alleging that she disrespected the national anthem during a program in the city last year.

Banerjee had approached the sessions court in an appeal over the magistrate’s order on Wednesday. On Friday, the second day of hearing, the court stayed the summons proceedings till March 25. It issued a notice to BJP’s Adv. Vivekanand Gupta, who had filed the complaint against Banerjee, which had resulted in the summons to her in the lower court. Additional Sessions Judge RN Rokade stayed the summons order till the appearance of parties on March 25 and adjourned the appeal till that date.

Adv. Gupta in a statement released to the media, complained that he had not been issued a notice by Banerjee’s advocate regarding the appeal filed before the sessions court. “Professional ethics demand that the advocate should have issued notice informing me that the matter is kept and he will argue the matter on the said date. Principle of natural justice was not followed,” his statement read.

In his order issuing summons to Banerjee, metropolitan magistrate PI Mokashi had stated that it is prima facie evident from the complaint, the video clips in the DVD as well as Youtube links that the accused had sung the national anthem, stopped abruptly and left the dias, which prima facie prove that she has committed offence punishable under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. The order had further stated that the prima facie evidence brought on record by the complainant is sufficient to proceed against the accused.

Gupta had stated in his complaint before the Sewree court in which he sought that the police register an FIR against Banerjee, that at a program at YB Chavan Auditorium in Nariman Point on Dec 1 last year, the WB chief minister had shown utter disrespect to the national anthem. “At the end of the program the accused in sitting position started singing the national anthem and later on the accused stood up, sung two verses and abruptly stopped singing the national anthem,” his complaint had read.

Published on: Friday, February 25, 2022, 10:34 PM IST