Calcutta HC asks BJP for tentative Rath Yatra dates

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to give three tentative dates for 'Rath Yatra'.

The bench further asked the state government's advocate to provide video footage of the meeting that was held on December 13 between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the state government.

Hearing in the matter is slated to continue tomorrow.

On Sunday, the West Bengal government denied permission to the BJP to hold a Rath Yatra in the state.

In a letter to West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, the Mamata Banerjee-led state government said that the areas proposed to be covered during the Yatra are turning into "communally sensitive pockets".

"Intelligence reports indicate that public perception is that the religious overtones of the Yatra will be turned into propaganda," the letter further noted.

The state government also claimed that the Yatra may trigger communal violence in several districts due to the participation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal, and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

Thereafter, the BJP on Monday filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging the state government's order. The court, in turn, directed the party to serve a copy of the petition to the state.

The BJP had planned to hold three Rath Yatras beginning from Cooch Behar district on December 6 and moving further to Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9 and Tarapith in Birbhum district on December 14.