West Bengal govt moves appeal on BJP's 'Rath Yatra' programme

The West Bengal government Friday moved an appeal before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court challenging a single bench order that allowed BJP's 'Rath Yatra' programme in the state.

Moving the appeal before the division bench comprising Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar, the state government expressed urgency and sought an immediate hearing.

The court granted leave to the state government to move the appeal and asked it to serve copies of its appeal to respondent, the BJP, following which the hearing would commence.

A single bench presided by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty Thursday allowed the BJP's 'Rath Yatra' programme, setting aside the denial of permission for the yatra by a panel of three senior most officers of the state government.

On December 6, a single judge bench of the HC had refused permission to the BJP to hold the 'Rath Yatra', which was scheduled to be flagged off by BJP chief Amit Shah from Cooch Behar in North Bengal on December 7. The party had then approached the division bench.

The division bench had on December 7 asked the state chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP and take a decision on the 'yatra' by December 14.

After parleys with the BJP team, the three officers refused permission for the rallies on December 15 on the grounds that it might lead to communal tension. The state BJP had moved the court again challenging the government's denial of permission to its programme.