The high court on Thursday allowed a lawyer to file a PIL challenging the legality of the February 28 general strike called by some trade unions.
The division bench of Chief Justice J.N. Patel and Justice S.K. Chakrabarti asked lawyer Abir Ranjan Neogy, who has sought an order declaring the strike unconstitutional, to mention the matter on Friday.
Neogy has also sought an order to the state government to take measures to ensure that people’s right to move freely is not undermined on February 28.
The Supreme Court had in 1997 declared bandh illegal. “If calling a bandh is a fundamental right of political parties and trade unions, the common people, too, have the right to move freely,” the apex court had observed.
Since 1997, the high court has passed several orders to the state to ensure people live normal lives during bandh.
Recalling people’s plight in the earlier general strikes, Neogy said: “The state authorities always promise adequate measures so people can move around freely but in reality, no such measures are taken on bandh days.”
The Mamata Banerjee government has announced that it would make “all arrangements” to foil the strike. It has also issued an order stating that government employees would not be granted leave on the day of the strike.
“Through its action the new government has made it clear that it treats general strikes as an illegal activity,” said a government official.
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