High Court to hear Writ petition against BJP yatras

New Delhi, Mar 24: The petition seeking direction to stop the 'rath yatras' by BJP leaders L K Advani and Rajnath Singh from Dwarka and Puri respectively from April 6, would be heard by a division bench of the Delhi High Court on March 31.

The division bench of Chief Jusitce Markandeya Katju and Justice S N Dhingra today marked the petition to the division bench of Justice M K Sharma and Justice Reva Khetrapal.

In a petition, Indian National Sikh Youth Forum, a voluntary agency, said ''The proposed yatras are likely to incite the communal feelings amongst the Hindus, Muslims and other minority communities in the country and expose them to the hatred, which led to the Gujarat riots.'' The petition filed on March 22 by counsel Naval Kishor Jha sought the direction of the court to former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and BJP President Rajnath Singh to desist from proceeding with the proposed yatras, which would pass through many states inciting people to fight against one another.

The yatras are also in violation of the model code of conduct in force in some states going to polls, said the petition filed by Forum President Tinkle Singh Bindra.

Making Mr Advani, Mr Singh, the Union Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Secretaries as party of respondents, the petition said, ''The proposed rath yatras would not achieve any purpose for the general public except exposing them to further hatred and isolation.'' The party, losing its base, has been looking for some means for revival. It is trying to capitalise on the recent bomb blsts in Varanasi, the temple city, the petition contended.

UNI

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