BJP to protest across Bengal against govt's decision on 'rath yatra'

The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to take out rallies across West Bengal to protest against the Trinamool Congress government's decision to deny permission for its 'rath yatra'.

As part of its protest programme, the party has organised a "ganatantra bachao (save democracy) andolan" in Arambagh area of Hooghly district on Monday. The BJP leaders have also threatened to organise a "civil disobedience" campaign in the state if they were stopped from holding the protest rallies.

"We will take out rallies across Bengal to protest against the state government's decision. We will inform the masses about the undemocratic atmosphere prevailing in the state and the need for the 'save democracy' rally at this hour.

"If we are stopped or denied permission to hold such rallies, then we will be forced to organise civil disobedience movement," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said at a press meet here.

Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani was also present at the meet. "It seems that the state government is afraid to see the voices of democracy coming together to fight against the government," she said.

The Mamata Banerjee-led government had on Saturday denied permission for the BJP's 'rath yatra' on the ground that it might cause communal tension. The yatra, touted as the saffron party's "save democracy" programme, was scheduled to start from Cooch Behar district.

BJP president Amit Shah, who had set a target of 22 Lok Sabha seats in the state, was scheduled to flag off three chariots from as many places. The chariots were meant to travel across all 42 parliamentary constituencies in the state over the next one-and-a-half months.

At the conclusion of the 'yatra', the party had planned a massive rally here, which was likely to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.