SC denies permission to BJP's 'Yatra', allows rallies, meetings instead

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to go ahead with its planned 'Yatra' in West Bengal.

The apex court, however, had said that the BJP state unit can conduct meetings and rallies.

The Supreme Court also remarked that if BJP comes out with a revised plan of fresh 'Yatra' that may be considered afresh later.

On January 8, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, seeking their response on a plea filed by the BJP for permission to hold 'Rath Yatra' in the state.

Earlier in the case, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on December 21 had quashed the order of a single bench allowing the BJP to hold its 'Rath Yatra' programme.

The division bench, headed by Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice Debasish Kar Gupta, was hearing a plea filed by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, following which, the BJP had decided to approach the vacation bench of the Supreme Court against the order of the high court's division bench barring the party to hold 'Yatra' in the state.

Mamata Banerjee-government filed the plea after the single bench of the high court had allowed the BJP to proceed with its 'Yatra' in the state and directed that the administration should ensure there is no breach of law and order.

The state government had refused permission for the proposed 'Yatra' citing intelligence reports of possible communal violence in areas where the BJP planned to hold rallies.

The BJP had planned to hold '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.