BJP president Amit Shah
In what could be seen by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a big win against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted permission for the three yatras to be hosted by party chief Amit Shah in the state. The court also directed the administration to ensure that there is no breach of law and order.
Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the state BJP to inform the superintendents of police of the districts, in which the rallies shall enter, at least 12 hours ahead of schedule.
The party was also directed to ensure that the 'Yatras' are conducted abiding by the law and shall not impede normal movement of vehicular traffic.
Welcoming the court's verdict, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya described it a 'slap on the face of tyranny'. He said that both PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will participate in the event.
"We welcome this decision and we had trust on judiciary that we'll get justice. This decision is a slap on the face of tyranny. We haven't decided anything but I can assure that PM party chief will join the yatra," Vijayvargiya said.
On December 6, a single-judge bench of the HC had refused to give permission to the BJP to hold the yatra, which was scheduled to be flagged off by BJP national president Amit Shah from Cooch Behar in North Bengal on December 7, was following which the party had approached the division bench.
The division bench on December 7 asked the West Bengal chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP and take a decision on the 'yatra' by December 14.
The state government after parleys with the three-member team had refused permission for the rath yatra on December 15 on the grounds that it might lead to communal tension.
Countering the state government's stand, BJP counsel SK Kapoor during the hearing on Wednesday had alleged that the denial of permission was pre-determined and without any basis, adding that "in the worst days of the British period Mahatma Gandhi held the Dandi March and nobody stopped him" but "now the government here says it won't allow a political procession".
