BJP approaches SC seeking permission to hold Rath Yatra in WB

Last week, a divisional bench of the Calcutta High Court had stayed the order by a single-judge bench allowing the party to hold its rath yatras. The BJP had planned to flag-off its first rally from the temple town of Tarapith in Birbhum district.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday moved the Supreme Court against a Calcutta High Court order staying its Rath Yatras in West Bengal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday moved the Supreme Court against a Calcutta High Court order staying its Rath Yatras in West Bengal. (Samir Jana/HT PHOTO)

Last week, a divisional bench of the Calcutta High Court had stayed the order by a single-judge bench allowing the party to hold its rath yatras. The BJP had planned to flag-off its first rally from the temple town of Tarapith in Birbhum district.

The BJP has sought an urgent hearing of its special leave petition (SLP).

An official of the apex court registry said it has received an appeal from the BJP against the high court division bench’s order.

The officials said the petition is under scrutiny.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress MP and senior advocate, appearing for the West Bengal Police had argued that the single-judge bench had not studied the intelligence reports submitted in a sealed envelope before passing its order.

Singhvi said the reports are detailed ones in which police had mapped out the route the yatra was supposed to take and had undedertaken a thorough risk analysis.

On Friday, the division bench of Chief Justice Debasish Kar Gupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar observed that the single-judge bench has to go through the reports to pronounce an objective order.

“The state government wants to block the programme by hook or by crook. Therefore, we have called our rally a ‘Save Democracy’ rally,” added BJP Bengal unit vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar.