Kolkata, March 8 (IANS): The Calcutta High Court on Friday allowed the leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, to hold a public political meeting at the trouble-ridden Sandeshkhali in North 24 Paragans district on Sunday, the same day the ruling Trinamool Congress is scheduled to organise a mega rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.

On being denied police permission to hold the meeting at Sandeshkhali, Adhikari had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking the same.

On Friday, a single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta gave Adhikari the nod to hold the meeting at Sandeshkhali on Sunday, but with the condition that he will not make any provocative statements there.

The timing of the meeting has been fixed between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Justice Sengupta also directed that the originally scheduled venue for the meeting needs to be changed.

He also sought to know whom the state government was trying to 'protect' by denying Adhikari permission to hold the political meeting.

“Section 144 was not imposed when permission for the meeting was sought. It was imposed only after a petition was filed in this court,” Justice Sengupta said.