Buddhadeb in trouble after sound norm violation

KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday allegedly violated the ban on using microphones in open spaces due to the ongoing secondary examinations in the state.

Bhattacharjee attended a series of programmes in his constituency Jadavpur in South 24 Parganas district Saturday and at least on one occasion, himself pointed out that the use of microphone was improper in the open space.

“I asked the person controlling the mike to lower the volume. There is no other alternative…. madhyamik (secondary) examination is in progress. There must be students appearing for madhyamik examination in the vicinity. So I will speak softly,” he said at a programme in Panchasayar where he inaugurated a new primary school building.

Acting on the chief minister’s directive, the organisers lowered the volume, though the sound box remained switched on.

Later, Bhattacharjee attended three other programmes - inaugurating a building of a frontal organisation of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and an auditorium of a girls schools at Patuli and a programme celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of poet Rabindranath Tagore at Baghajatin.

Microphones were used in each of the programmes.

The secondary examinations, conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, started Feb 23 and will end March 7.

A district police officer said they had taken note of the incidents. However, he refused to comment further.

West Bengal Pollution Control Board law officer Biswajeet Mukherjee said the body would ask for details on the incident from police.

On Feb 20, the day the ban was enforced, the Trinamool Congress landed in a soup following allegations that loud speakers were used at a party rally addressed by its chief Mamata Banerjee on the arterial Red Road. Police later filed a first information report against the party under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.