The Calcutta High Court on Friday allowed the West Bengal government to go ahead with the Gangasagar Mela, which attracts lakhs of people, amid the massive surge in COVID-19 in the state, media reports said.

The high court, which had reserved its decision, gave the nod with certain conditions.

It has constituted a three-member committee, comprising Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state, West Bengal Human Rights Commission chairman or his representative and a representative of the State, to regulate the crowd in the mela and ensure the court’s directives are followed.

The Calcutta High Court passed the judgement while hearing a plea seeking cancellation of Gangasagar Mela, with which the government controversially wanted to go ahead with COVID-19 protocols in place.

On the occasion of ‘Makar Sankranti’, lakhs of Hindu devotees every year go to Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district and take holy dips and offer prayers at Kapil Muni Temple.

Reacting to the court’s verdict, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition party in the state, has questioned the health infrastructure in and around Sagar Island.

West Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said, “While the state is claiming to have sufficient health infrastructure, in reality, any devotee, if infected, will have to travel kilometers to Kolkata for hospitalization.”