West Bengal government refused permission for BJP’s Rath Yatra
The West Bengal government refused permission for BJP’s Rath Yatra. The WB government cited reports of possible communal violence. These violence incidents may occur in areas where the party was planning to take out the yatra.
In a letter to state BJP chief, Dilip Ghosh, the West Bengal government said that it was unable to allow the yatra as proposed the BJP government.
The West Bengal government refused permission citing intelligence reports that indicated that “in several districts, organizations with overtly communal agenda, such as the RSS, the Bajrang Dal and the VHP, would actively join the yatra. There is a grave apprehension of major breach of peace… during and after the yatra,” the state government said in the letter.
Reacting to this development, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya criticised the Trinamool Congress government’s decision and said its party would move a higher court against it. Ghosh termed the decision totally “democratic”.
The BJP had proposed to take out three rath yatras in different parts of the state. This was to be done ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP moved a division bench of the Calcutta High Court after a single-judge bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty refused permission to the party to hold the yatra.
The division bench had directed 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 rath yatra case within December 14th.
After the meeting, the state government told the representatives that they would announce their decision on Saturday.
In the letter to the BJP, the West Bengal government said, “The areas proposed to be covered the yatra are, because of publicity and propaganda.”
The West Bengal government refused permission on the basis of communal issue. Do you agree with this decision?
