No response from WB govt to request for \'rath yatra\' meeting: BJP

No response from WB govt to request for 'rath yatra' meeting: BJP

Press Trust of India  |  Kolkata 

BJP on Sunday claimed the TMC-led has not responded to requests for a meeting over the saffron party's proposed 'yatra'.

"We had sent the letters on Saturday and had requested for a meeting. We are yet to receive any response from the state government," Ghosh said at a press conference.

A division bench of the had on Friday directed the state's secretary, and the of police (DGP) to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by December 12, and take a decision on the matter by December 14.

Ghosh claimed that a called up party officials on Sunday and said the DGP was "very busy".

"He declined to give us any specific time frame within which we can sit for a discussion with him (DGP) regarding the 'yatra' programme," he said.

The state BJP said the party had also sent letters to the home secretary, but in vain.

"This is really unfortunate that despite the court order, the officials of the are not ready for discussions," Ghosh said.

BJP Kailash Vijayvargiya, who was also present at the press conference, also shared similar sentiments.

He said he had specially come from to talk to the DGP, but the government officials were behaving like Trinamool Congress' (TMC) cadres.

"Even if the DGP is busy on Sunday and cannot meet BJP leaders to discuss the matter, he should at least give us a specific time, be it Monday or Tuesday, when he would be able to meet. Unfortunately, most of the police and government officials behave as cadres of the TMC," he said.

Vijayvargiya dismissed allegations that the BJP's 'yatra' was aimed at creating communal tension in the state.

"Not a single incident of communal riot has taken place in Bengal due to any BJP rally or programme. The allegations against us are completely baseless," he said.

Speaking about Narendra Modi's December 16 rally in Siliguri, which was supposed to be a part of the 'rath yatra' campaign, Ghosh said he was still hopeful that it would take place.

"We are hopeful that we would be able to conduct the rally of the as he has given us time. If we get permission for the 'rath yatra' programme by then, it will be part of it or else the rally will take place separately," he said.

BJP national was to kickstart the campaign titled 'Save Democracy Rally' from district on Friday, from Kakdwip in South 24 district on December 9, and from in district on December 14.

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

The BJP moved the division bench of the after a single bench of Justice on Thursday refused permission to the party to hold the yatra.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sun, December 09 2018. 21:10 IST