WB govt trying to delay meeting on 'rath yatra': BJP

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Monday accused the state government of "trying to delay" a meeting to discuss the party's proposed 'rath yatra' by giving "lame excuses".

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court had on December 7 directed the West Bengal chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by December 12, and take a decision on the 'rath yatra' by December 14.

"The state government is deliberately trying to delay the proposed meeting with the government officials on the 'rath yatra' campaign. It is giving lame excuses. We will inform the high court about the development," Ghosh said.

"The TMC government actually wants us to cancel the yatra and that is why they are using delaying tactics," he added.

Ghosh had on Sunday claimed that the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government has not responded to requests by the BJP for the meeting.

He had alleged that a senior police officer had called up party officials on Sunday and said the DGP was "very busy".

BJP national president Amit Shah was to kickstart the campaign titled 'Save Democracy Rally' from Cooch Behar district on Friday, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14.

The 'rath yatras' were to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal.

The BJP moved the division bench of the Calcutta High Court after a single judge bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty on Thursday refused permission to the party to hold the yatra.