KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday allowed the West Bengal BJP to hold “rath yatra” rallies across the state, in a major setback to the Mamata Banerjee government. The Court has allowed BJP to hold three rath yatras in the state and directed the administration to ensure that there is no breach of law and order.
A single bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty heard final arguments from both the BJP and the state government before delivering the verdict.
On December 7, a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court had declined to give the BJP permission to hold the yatra.
Sounding a caution, the court also said that BJP will be equally responsible for any loss or damage to property caused. BJP President Amit Shah was scheduled to flag off three chariots from different parts of the state, which were to travel across the state’s 42 parliamentary constituencies. Earlier
on Wednesday, the state government told the Calcutta High Court said the yatra wasn’t allowed because there were intelligence reports voicing fears of a breach of communal harmony.
