By Team
The Publishers and Booksellers Guild is a private organisation entitled to decide the allocation of stalls at the Kolkata Book Fair, a lawyer for the guild told Calcutta High Court on Monday.
Justice Amrita Sinha was hearing a petition filed by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) alleging that the guild has declined to allot it a stall at the International Kolkata Book Fair this year.
The Publishers and Booksellers Guild is a private organisation entitled to decide the allocation of stalls at the Kolkata Book Fair, a lawyer for the guild told Calcutta High Court on Monday.
Justice Amrita Sinha was hearing a petition filed by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) alleging that the guild has declined to allot it a stall at the International Kolkata Book Fair this year.
The arguments are not over and the hearing will continue on Tuesday.
In its petition, the VHP had said the rejection amounted to a violation of Article 226 of the Constitution. The article gives high courts the power to issue writs to enforce fundamental rights.
“The petition (filed by the VHP) is not maintainable by the court because the guild is merely a private organisation and not a state-run body. Cases under Article 226 can only be filed against the State or any State-controlled body,” the counsel for the guild argued.
This story was originally published in telegraphindia.com. Read the full story here.
