The Calcutta high court on Thursday granted protection from coercive action to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee until July 31 in the inciting speech case. However, the court directed him to appear in person before the investigating officers and prohibited him from leaving the country without the court’s permission, lawyers said.Calcutta HC directed Abhishek Banerjee to appear in person before the investigating officers and prohibited him from leaving the country without the court’s permission, lawyers said.“We sought protection from the court because we feel the charges are politically motivated. The court heard our petition and granted Abhishek Banerjee relief. The investigation will continue but the court directed the police to serve him notices for personal appearance 48 hours in advance,” the MP’s lawyer, Sirsanya Banerjee, told the media after Justice Saugata Bhattacharya passed the order.Banerjee sought permission to appear virtually before the police, but the court denied the request.The case will be heard again on July 20.The Bidhannagar police commissionerate registered a first information report (FIR) on May 15 against Banerjee on charges of making inciting remarks in some of his speeches posted on social media. The FIR, a copy of which HT saw, was registered under four sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and two sections of the Representation of the People Act. Two of the charges are non-bailable.The state’s additional advocate general Rajdeep Majumder opposed Banerjee’s petition, which sought quashing of the FIR.The complaint was registered at the Cyber Crime police station in Bidhannagar on the basis of a written complaint lodged by local resident Rajib Sarkar on May 5, a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defeated the TMC. Sarkar alleged that Banerjee made objectionable and inciting remarks against Union ministers and rival parties.“Taking serious note of the allegations, Justice Bhattacharya wondered how could an all-India general secretary of a (then) ruling party and a member of Parliament make such statements,” a lawyer who was present during the hearing said, requesting anonymity.The judge referred to the alleged objectionable speeches mentioned in the complaint as “irresponsible statements,” the lawyer said.“The judge observed that Bengal has a history of post-poll violence and wondered what Banerjee’s remarks might have led to had TMC won the election,” the lawyer said.The charges were registered under Sections 192 (wantonly or malignantly giving provocation with the intent to cause a riot), 196 (promotion of enmity, hatred, or ill-will between different groups based on religion, race, language, or community), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), and 353 (1) (c) (creation, publication, or circulation of false information, rumors, or reports with the intent to promote or incite hatred, animosity, or ill-will between different religious, racial, linguistic, or regional groups or castes) of the BNS.The charges under the Representation of the People Act were registered under Section 123 (2) (any direct or indirect interference or attempt to interfere on the part of the candidate or his agent, or of any other person with the consent of the candidate or his election agent, with the free exercise of any electoral right) and Section 125 (promoting enmity between classes in connection with elections on grounds of religion, race, caste, community, or language).Rajib Sarkar told HT after the FIR was registered that he acted as a responsible citizen.“I am a social worker. I don’t think any responsible public figure can make such statements in public,” he said.In one of the speeches mentioned in the complaint, Banerjee made some remarks about Union home minister Amit Shah.Reacting to the court order, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “Abhishek Banerjee appeared to be desperate to meet Amit Shah. He should go to Delhi now and fulfill his wishes.”