Published 11:57 IST, January 21st 2019
SC denies permission for BJP's West Bengal Rath Yatra till modified schedule is provided to Mamata govt; allows it to hold public meetings
Supreme Court denies permission for BJP's Rath Yatra in West Bengal for now; allows it to hold public meetings and asks for a modified schedule for the yatra.
Advertisement
The Supreme Court on Tuesday has denied permission for BJP's Rath Yatra in West Bengal. However, the apex court has allowed the party to conduct public rallies and meetings. Furthermore, the SC has stated that if BJP comes up with modified schedule for the yatra, then that may be considered afresh later.
Announcing the verdict, CJI Ranjan Gogoi said that the court has perused the revised proposal given to the chief secretary of West Bengal.
"The government of West Bengal cannot have any objections in holding public rallies. The details of rath yatra have been provided covering 42 constituencies which will definitely come up to cover the length and breadth of the state. While the law and order is in question here, looking at the new proposal given on January 14, the apprehension is showcased doesn't hold any ground," the CJI said.
Asking the West Bengal government to consider giving permission for public rallies the BJP party, the SC said that petition won't be continued anymore.
The apex court was hearing a December 24 petition filed by the BJP challenging an order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which had set aside a ruling of a single-judge bench allowing the Rath Yatra.
The party had approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to hold the campaign 'Save Democracy Rally', which would cover 42 parliamentary constituencies in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Earlier while speaking at the Republic Summit 2018, BJP chief Amit Shah had taken on Mamata Banerjee and her party for their decision to deny BJP the permission to hold Rath Ratra in the state.
"Can you believe, in a democracy like India, a party like BJP isn't being allowed to carry out a Rath Yatra? Permission isn't being granted to hold rallies. PM wanted to go, I wanted to go, Home Minister wanted to go, but they have stopped us. We went to court against it. You can imagine, I rally across the country, but to rally in West Bengal, I have to go to court. Prime Minister is forced to go to court to hold a rally," he said.
15:14 IST, January 15th 2019