HC order on Guv’s defamation suit violated freedom of speech: Bengal CM’s counsel

Kolkata, July 24 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court order of July 16 putting an interim stay on any derogatory comments against Governor C.V. Ananda Bose till August 14 violated the provisions of Freedom of Speech, the counsel for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee argued in the court on Wednesday.After the single-judge bench of Justice Krishna Rao put the interim stay on July 16 while hearing a defamation suit filed by the Governor against the Chief Minister, the latter on July 19 approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the order.As the matter came up for hearing before the division bench of Justice Indra Prasanna Mukherjee and Justice Biswaroop Chowdhury on Wednesday, the Chief Minister’s counsel argued that the interim stay was ordered without making any observation on whether there was any defamation in the first place.The counsel also claimed that the Chief Minister didn’t make any comment which might be deemed as defamatory.The matter will be taken up for hearing again on Thursday.–IANSsrc/arm