No BJP Rath Yatra in West Bengal for Now, Says Supreme Court

The SC also said that BJP can conduct public meetings and rallies, with approval from the state government.

The saffron party was originally supposed to hold multiple ‘Rath Yatras’ in the state, starting from Cooch Behar from 7 December.

(Photo altered by The Quint)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 15 January, refused to give a nod to BJP’s Rath Yatra in West Bengal, unless it satisfies the conditions about law and order issues, according to ANI. However, the apex court said, BJP can conduct public meetings and rallies, with approval from the state government.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi passed the order. Justice L Nageswara Rao and Sanjay Kishan Kaul were also part of the bench.

The Court has asked BJP to submit a revised plan of the fresh yatra, which may be considered later, reported ANI.

With this decision, the Supreme Court has upheld the order of a Division Bench of Calcutta High Court, which had overturned the ruling of a single-judge bench allowing the procession.

BJP had approached the Supreme Court after a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court had upheld the decision of the state government to refuse permission for the Rath Yatra, Hindustan Times reported.

BJP, in its plea, has claimed that authorities cannot abridge their democratic right and has offered to submit a revised plan for its ‘Save Democracy Rally’, according to Hindustan Times. The top court has asked the state government to provide its views on the revised schedule.

During the rally, BJP plans to cover 42 parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

(With inputs from ANI and Hindustan Times.)