A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Pratap Kumar Roy and Justice Subol Baidya, taking note of the comments allegedly made by Manna, Minister of State for Agriculture who was sworn in last month and directed him to appear before the court on December 18.
Senior counsel Bikash Bhattacharya brought Manna's alleged comments, published in newspapers and telecast on TV news channels, to the notice of the court and prayed for issue of suo motu contempt rule against the minister.
Bhattacharya claimed that Manna, during a public meeting to observe 'Singur Divas' on December 2 at Beraberi market in Singur had made the alleged derogatory comments against the judiciary with regard to an order of the high court.
The division bench, after hearing Bhattacharya and going through the documents produced by him, directed that contempt rule be issued against Manna.
Farmers at Singur had agitated during 2006-08 after their land was acquired by the then Left Front government and Manna, a peasant leader from Singur, had played a key role in organising the protests.
The government had acquired 997 acre for setting up of Nano car plant, but it was demanded by the Trinamool Congress that 400 acre be returned to farmers who unwillingly parted with their land.
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The Calcutta High Court had struck down the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Act 2011 under which the West Bengal government had reclaimed 400 acre of land.
The state government had gone on appeal against the order before the Supreme Court, which has stayed the order of the high court.