Ban on Calcutta protests delayed

The High Court in the Indian city of Calcutta has put the brakes on a proposed law that would have banned street protests from being held on weekdays.

Public protest is a way of life in Calcutta

A judge at the same court, Amitava Lala, issued the ban last month, saying that rallies regularly blocked streets and brought all business to a halt in the city.

But the leftist government in Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal state, petitioned the court to reconsider the ban, saying Justice Lala's ruling violated the constitutional right to peaceful protest.

The court heard the petition on Monday and issued a stay order on the ban, giving the state government until 12 November to present its objections.

Confrontation avoided

Supporters of the ruling Left Front, who had earlier said they would fight Justice Lala's verdict by staging more protests, hailed the stay order as a victory - even though the court has yet to decide on the issue.

Analysts say the stay order would have come as a relief to the state government, which was heading for a showdown with the judiciary.

According to the BBC's Calcutta correspondent, Subir Bhaumik, if the leftist administration had failed to stop the rallies, it would have been accused of ignoring a court order.

On the other hand, if it had stopped the rallies, the government would have had to confront its own supporters.

Public protest is a way of life in Calcutta.

Marching in the streets and chanting slogans is one of the most popular forms of political expression in the city.

In recent years, Calcutta has witnessed demonstrations by Muslims, Hindus, journalists, gays, prostitutes - and even policemen.