Calcutta High Court gives green signal to BJP's 'rath yatra' in West Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 20: Calcutta High Court on Thursday gave permission for the three yatras of BJP in West Bengal and directed that the administration should ensure that there is no breach of law and order.

According to reports, while ruling the court directed that authorities in the respective districts will have to be informed 24 hours in advance about the yatra. It directed the administration to ensure law and order during the yatra events.

The Trinamool Congress (TMSC) government told the high court on Wednesday that permission was denied due to intelligence reports expressing fears of a breach of communal harmony.

Advocate General Kishore Dutta had submitted a sealed report and said the stated issues in the BJP's brochure publicising the yatra were communally sensitive in nature.

Dutta also submitted that the court had limited scope of judicial review in an administrative decision to not allow the yatra on the basis of intelligence inputs and fears of communal tension.

BJP president Amit Shah was scheduled to flag off three chariots from different parts of the state. The chariots were meant to travel across the state's 42 parliamentary constituencies over the next one-and-a-half months before concluding in Kolkata, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was likely to address a rally.

The 'Rath Yatra' was scheduled to start from Cooch Behar district on December 7, but was stalled, following which the BJP had moved the high court.

Save Democracy Rath Yatra

The venue besides NH-31, prepared in anticipation of BJP National President Amit Shah's rally to launch 'Save Democracy Rath Yatra', in Cooch Behar, West Bengal, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. The rally was cancelled
after Calcutta High Court refused the BJP permission to hold a 'rath yatra', following the state government's apprehensions of violence. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)

Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mukul Roy

BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and party leader Mukul Roy discuss after Calcutta High Court refused permission to BJP for Amit Shah's Save Democracy Rath Yatra launch rally, at a hotel in Cooch Behar, Thursday, December 6, 2018. (PTI PHoto/Swapan Mahapatra)

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee talks to media after a meeting of opposition parties to discuss a grand alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, in New Delhi, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. (PTI Photo/Kamal Singh)

BJP chief Amit Shah

BJP National President Amit Shah addresses a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi, Friday, Dec 14, 2018. (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma)

(With PTI inputs)