No BJP Rath Yatra in West Bengal as Supreme Court Declines Permission

Kolkata, January 15: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined permission to Bharatiya Janata Party to carry out Rath Yatras in West Bengal. But allowed BJP to conduct meetings and rallies in the state. However, SC said, if BJP comes out with a revised plan of fresh Yatra, that may be considered afresh later. This comes after West Bengal unit of the BJP challenged the December 21 order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which had set aside the order of a single-judge bench allowing the Rath Yatra procession. Supreme Court Seeks West Bengal Govt's Response on BJP Plea Seeking Permission for Rath Yatra.

The BJP's West Bengal unit has approached the top court seeking permission to take out Yatra, which would cover 42 parliamentary constituencies in the state ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Mamata Banerjee Denies Permission For BJP’s Rath Yatra in West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh to Appeal in High Court.

Earlier, on December 21, A division bench of the Calcutta High Court quashed a single bench order that allowed the BJP to carry out three Rath Yatras in West Bengal. The single-judge bench order was challenged by chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.

A single bench order by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty on December 21 allowed the BJP’s ‘Rath Yatra’ programme, setting aside the denial of permission for the rallies by a panel of three senior most officers of the state government. The court allowed the BJP to hold rallies on December 22, 24 and 26. However, the decision was challenged by West Bengal government before a division bench of Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar, which squashed the earlier ruling by single bench.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 15, 2019 03:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).