BJP to move SC against Calcutta High Court order restraining its ‘Rath Yatras’ in West Bengal

BJP President Dilip Ghosh said the party will continue to hold protest meets to condemn the state government’s attempts to stall the rath yatras. The party was scheduled to begin its rath yatras from December 7

A day after the division bench of Calcutta High Court stayed BJP’s rath yatraprogramme in West Bengal, the saffron party Saturday announced that it will move a vacation bench of the Supreme Court challenging the order, news agency ANI reported.

Earlier, BJP President Dilip Ghosh had said the party will continue to hold protest meets to condemn the state government’s attempts to stall the rath yatras.

The ruling TMC, however, had welcomed the division bench order. “We have full faith in the judiciary and we welcome the order. Those who will try to disrupt peace in the state in the name of taking out rath yatra will not be with dealt casually,” said TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee.

The BJP was scheduled to begin its rath yatras from December 7. On December 6, a Calcutta High Court single-judge bench had refused the BJP permission. The party had then approached the division bench, which asked the state Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and DGP to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP and take a decision by December 14.

On December 15, the administration refused permission, following which the BJP moved the HC again on Monday. Subsequently, the single-judge bench Thursday had allowed BJP to hold the rath yatra on certain conditions. It said that courts can “interfere” if the administration exercises its discretionary power in a “whimsical and unreasonable manner”.