The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed that the West Bengal government's Health and Family Welfare department guidelines be followed while holding the Martyrs' Day rally by the ruling Trinamool Congress party.

Claiming that around 15 to 20 lakh people are going to attend the rally at Esplanade in Kolkata on July 21, amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the state, a prayer was made before the court in a PIL to direct the state to take adequate measures and enforce rules to conduct the programme virtually or to follow a strict and proper guideline for it. ??

Advocate General S N Mookherjee, appearing for the state, informed the division bench presided by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava that the Health and Family Welfare department of the state has issued a guideline for holding the rally and those wanting to attend it.

The advisory said that only asymptomatic and fully vaccinated people should preferably attend public gatherings following COVID-appropriate behaviour.

The bench, also comprising Justice R Bharadwaj, directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the guidelines are followed while holding the public gathering on July 21 on the occasion of Martyrs' Day by the TMC.

Disposing of the PIL, the court also directed the state authorities to take all possible steps to ensure that such a gathering may not lead to the spread of COVID in the state and that the rally is held in a peaceful atmosphere.

(With PTI inputs)