Bengal BJP chief calls for President\'s rule in state as government stops Rath Yatra

Bengal BJP chief calls for President's rule in state as government stops Rath Yatra

IANS  |  Kolkata 

The leadership on Sunday said the party would move the court against the state government's rejection of its application to hold a Yatra here.

The saffron outfit was scheduled to hold the Ganatantra Bachao Yatra or rally to save democracy, in north Bengal's Cooch Behar, South 24 district's Gangasagar and district's temple town of but the on Saturday rejected its plea stating there was "grave apprehension of major breach of peace and communal violence during and in the aftermath" of the programme.

"We will shortly move court against the Bengal government's decision to stop the Yatra. Our party will also hold demonstrations against the murder of democracy by the ruling party and shrinking of political space for the opposition parties in the state," state BJP said.

He also accused the of deliberately impeding the proposed rallies and called for President's rule in Bengal.

"The is deliberately stopping us from holding the Yatras here. The government is claiming there can be communal tension and lapse in law and order situation in areas proposed to be covered by the yatra but they (the Government) have not mentioned the areas where problems might arise," he said.

"It seems that the is admitting to its failure in running the administration and maintaining law and order. The situation is such that imposition of Article 356 (President's rule) might be necessary," Ghosh added.

In an official communication to the BJP, the on Saturday said intelligence reports claim that the "yatras" (rallies) would be turned into "communal propaganda" with the likely participation of "organisations with an overtly communal agenda" like the "RSS, VHP and the Bajrang Dal".

--IANS

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First Published: Sun, December 16 2018. 17:44 IST