3 days’ jail term not enough: BJP

The BJP’s West Bengal unit today said it would file a caveat in Supreme Court on the Calcutta HC ordering CPI(M) Politburo member Biman...

The BJP’s West Bengal unit today said it would file a caveat in Supreme Court on the Calcutta HC ordering CPI(M) Politburo member Biman Bose to three-days imprisonment for contempt of court. The term and Rs 10,000 fine were not enough punishment, it said.

BJP leaders in Kolkata consulted Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu over telephone on the issue. ‘‘We will appeal the apex court for a higher degree of punishment for Biman Bose,’’ said BJP general secretary Rahul Sinha. ‘‘Our central leadership admitted to file a caveat. They will give us legal assistance.’’ A group of BJP leaders will leave for Delhi on Monday.

‘‘The CPI(M)’s role is clear…they repeatedly tried to destroy the judicial system of the country. This is not the first time that Biman Bose is guilty of contempt of court. In December 1994, Bose was fined by the court. Even Speaker Somnath Chatterjee recently became active against the judiciary,’’ said Sinha. ‘‘This is the strategy of the Communists to destroy the democratic fabric of the country.’’

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The CPI(M) state secretariat met this morning to consider the legal options for appeal. Former chief minister Jyoti Basu, who attended the meeting, said: ‘‘We are also consulting with legal experts to move Supreme Court.’’

However, the CPI(M) will not hold a public protest against the HC judgment as it did against the order of Justice Amitava Lala, banning rallies during working hours. All its mass organisations had then hit the streets but this time around, the reaction is altered. ‘‘We will not hold any protest rally this time,’’ CITU general secretary Kali Ghosh said. ‘‘The party has already decided to move Supreme Court, we will fight within the judiciary.’’