The Calcutta High Court has made a significant statement, indicating its intention to advise the Election Commission of India (ECI) to postpone the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for Behrampore in West Bengal. This recommendation stems from a petition concerning the violence that took place during the Ramayana festival in the region.

A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya orally remarked: "We will recommend to the ECI that when people can't enjoy a festival for a few hours peacefully, they shall not be entitled to elect their representatives to the parliament, so that the elections shall be deferred. Let us see. Some trivial incident…may lead to a big explosion. It is not that all these incidents are pre-planned. The day of the festival…something can get into a person and he [may instigate others]…but this intolerance [is] on both sides.”

The court's remarks were made in response to petitions that brought attention to the violence that occurred during Ram Navami celebrations in Behrampore earlier this month. Additionally, the court is currently handling another case related to violence during Ram Navami in 2023, which is under investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

During the hearing of the petitions, the court acknowledged the petitioners' contention that the recent violence marked a first-time occurrence in the Behrampore region. Consequently, the court sought affidavits from the state detailing the nature of the violence and the sequence of events during the Ram Navami celebrations.