Mamata Banerjee Urges Chief Justice to Safeguard Constitution and Democracy

Chief Minister's Plea for Judicial Integrity

On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to Chief Justice Suryakant to protect the nation's constitution, democracy, and judiciary. During the inauguration of the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court, she urged Justice Suryakant to shield citizens from being unfairly targeted by 'agencies'.

Banerjee stated, 'Please safeguard the constitution, democracy, judiciary, history, and geography of our country.'

The leader of the Trinamool Congress emphasized, 'You (the Chief Justice) are the guardian of our constitution. We are under your legal protection. No one surpasses you in the judiciary. On behalf of the people, we request that there be no discrimination based on caste or religion. Let us work, speak, and think for unity.'

Call to End Media Trials

Banerjee urged the Chief Justice to put an end to 'media trials' before cases are resolved. She remarked, 'The trend of media trials is increasing before the resolution of cases. This must be stopped.'

Support for Young Lawyers

The Chief Minister also called on Justice Suryakant to pay attention to the new generation of lawyers, alleging that junior lawyers are struggling and not receiving their rightful benefits.

Investment in Fast-Track Courts

Despite the central government halting funding for fast-track courts in West Bengal, Banerjee announced that her administration has established 88 such courts. She noted, 'We have already spent over ₹1,200 crores on courts. Please do not take offense (referring to Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal); even though the center has stopped funding, we continue to establish fast-track courts.'

Details of the New Building

Banerjee highlighted that 52 of these courts are designated for women, seven are POCSO courts, four are labor courts, and 19 are human rights courts. She remarked that the new building of the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench is 'better than the Calcutta High Court (building)'.

She revealed that approximately 40.08 acres of prime land was allocated for the construction, with the state government investing over ₹500 crores in the project.

Dignitaries in Attendance

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Justice Suryakant, Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court Sujoy Paul, former Supreme Court judges, West Bengal Advocate General Kishore Dutta, and Meghwal.