The fate of the much publicised Rath Yatra of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is likely to be decided by the Calcutta High Court on Thursday.
On Wednesday, a petition by the BJP alleging that the State government is denying permission to the rally on political grounds was taken up for hearing at the Calcutta High Court but the matter remained inconclusive.
While Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty asked the State government to come up with its stand on the issue, State’s advocate general Kishore Dutta said that the BJP has approached wrong authorities for seeking the permission. The matter will come up for hearing on Thursday.
The BJP’s Rath Yatra, which is also called Ganatantra Bachao Yatra (Save Democracy Rally), is scheduled to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah at Cooch Behar on December 7.
TMC attempting to foil our Yatra, says Cooch Behar BJP chief
Meanwhile in Cooch Behar, the BJP leadership alleged that the Trinamool Congress is leaving no stone unturned for foiling the its Rath Yatra in the district. Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya alleged that the Trinamool Congress is pressurising the transport operators to return the deposits to the party for providing vehicles for the rally.
BJP district president Malati Rava said that the party is facing such an adverse situation that they are forced to hold a rally in a paddy field three kilometres away from the city. “ We are guarding the venue round the clock, 15 to 20 of our party workers are there even in the night. In the past there has been occasion that the rally venue has been vandalised by members of the party,” Ms Rava told The Hindu.
Ms. Rava alleged that the ruling party has booked all the grounds and stadium in the district on pretext of holding some events. There has also been reports of posters of BJP being torn and defaced allegedly by supporters of the ruling party.
‘Only Lord Krishna can bring Rath Yatra to Bengal’
State’s Minister for North Bengal Development and MLA from Cooch Behar, Rabindranath Ghosh, denied all allegation and said the BJP is levelling such charges to grab headlines.
“ In Cooch Behar we have old Madan Mohan temple and only the Lord Krishna can bring out the rally. After we raised the issue, the BJP is now calling its Rath Yatra, Ganatantra Bachao Yatra,” Mr Ghosh said.
For a party which has taken away democratic rights of 40 lakh people in adjoining State Assam, it is a joke that they talk about democracy, he added.
