Mamata has right to make statements against governor: Calcutta HC

Kolkata: Calcutta high court held that Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had the right to make statements against governor CV Ananda Bose as long as they were not defamatory in nature. The court lifted the interim restraint on Banerjee from making statements against the governor provided the statements were not defamatory.
A division bench of Justices IP Mukherji and Biswaroop Chowdhury passed the order acting on Banerjee’s appeal against the interim order of an HC single bench restraining her from making any statement against the governor, that might be construed as defamatory in nature, till August 14.
The governor had filed a defamation suit against Banerjee and others following the CM’s claim that women had told her they were scared of visiting Raj Bhavan amid claims of sexual harassment against him.
The division bench took note of the fact that the single bench had not declared the statements made by the CM and a few others as “incorrect” or “defamatory.” It held that no one was standing in the way of people making “correct statements.” “A person’s reputation is important to him and law gives him power to protect this. His corresponding freedom of speech and expression is confirmed, subject to restrictions. One such restriction is on words spoken or written to defame others,” the bench held. “Every member has the right to know the truth, and if it is in public interest, a member has every right to expose it. If this is vested in every citizen then it is vested in the CM with more responsibilities,” the bench added.