Lecture programme by RSS-backed organisation runs into trouble in Kolkata

An altercation took place at the venue of a lecture programme on the desired lifestyle of couples during pregnancy when chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights Ananya Chakraborti allegedly tried to barge into the auditorium.

The lecture session was organised by RSS-backed 'Arogya Bharati'. Jayshree Rakshit, an official of "Arogya Bharati" said, "The High Court had given us permission to hold the programme. So why did she try to barge into our lecture session? Had she followed the proper procedure we would have allowed her. But she did not follow that. She was threatening us," Rakshit alleged.

Chakraborti, on the other hand, accused the officials of "Arogya Bharati" of harassing her and lodged a police complaint against them. She said that the organisers could not stop her from entering a programme venue as being the chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Child Rights, she has every right to interfere in every matter related to children".

"Being the chairperson of WBCPCR, I went to see what was happening there. I have every right to do so. But they abused me and harassed me. I have lodged a police complaint against them," Chakraborti told PTI. The police said that they were looking into the complaint.

The Calcutta High Court yesterday allowed holding of a lecture on lifestyle couples should adopt during pregnancy, disallowing a plea for a stay on it by West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborti had allowed the lecture to be held, while noting that there would not be any physical examination or treatment of couples.

Moving a PIL, the petitioner's counsel had claimed that the organisers were proposing to prescribe ways and means to give birth to babies with qualities as desired by parents.