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The BJP versus TMC battle in West Bengal is set for bitter battle ahead . As the Calcutta high court has said it cannot give permission for rath yatra to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah from Coochbehar on the grounds that it might cause communal tension.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, BJP president , Amit Shah, was understandably livid and said a democratic process has been suppressed in West Bengal, with the misuse of power. “The CM is following this trend. This is non-democratic. She (Mamata Banerjee) is scared that if BJP takes out all these three rallies in the state of West Bengal and assemble in Kolkata then the foundation of a complete change will be laid down. So she attempted to stop all these yatras.” He said West Bengal leads in the number of political killings and that the entire West Bengal administration was working for the ruling TMC.
In a message to the BJP rank and file, Shah said, “We will definitely carry out all ‘yatras’, nobody can stop us. People of West Bengal are now ready for change. We want to advice Mamata Banerjeeji that denying permissions to BJP events in the state will only result in more resentment among the people. BJP karyakartas do not fear the suppression of Mamata Banerjee. We are committed to bringing good governance and change in Bengal,” he said.
Directing that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty observed that the prayer of BJP for permission to hold the Rath Yatra cannot be granted at this stage.
The BJP was scheduled to hold three ‘rath yatras’ that will start from different parts and traverse all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies.
The BJP campaign was scheduled to begin from Coochbehar district in the north on December 7, from Kakdwip in the South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14.
State advocate general Kishore Dutta told the court that the Coochbehar superintendent of police refused permission for the BJP president’s rath yatra from December 7 .
The state government submitted that it might cause communal tension in the district.
The court directed that superintendents of police of all districts in West Bengal will file a report by December 21 to it on the holding of ‘rath yatra’ rallies by the BJP, after hearing all district presidents of the party.
Directing that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty observed that the prayer of BJP for permission to hold the Rath Yatra cannot be granted at this stage.
