BJP moves SC over Bengal yatra, hearing in early January

NEW DELHI: West Bengal BJP moved the Supreme Court on Monday seeking protection of its political right to hold state-wide 'Save Democracy' 'yatras', permission for which was declined by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.

The state BJP challenged the TMC government's decision to deny permission for ' Ganatantra Bachao Yatras ', which were scheduled to start in three phases from three different locations to touch all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, before the Calcutta HC. A single judge bench had quashed the state's decision to deny permission on December 20 but a day later, a division bench tossed back the state's appeal to the single judge bench and requested it to examine the adequacy of material given by the state for denying permission.

BJP moved the SC through advocate Mahesh Agrawal, who told TOI that the court had agreed to hear the petition in the first week of January. After a 15-day winter break, the SC will reopen on January 2.

The BJP said, "The fundamental right to hold peaceful yatra cannot be withheld on the ground of mere surmises and conjectures of the ruling party. The authorities cannot abridge BJP's fundamental right to exercise its democratic rights by holding protest marches... State of West Bengal has been repeatedly violating the fundamental rights of the opposition party and citizens to hold protest rallies.

Originally, the first ' Ganatantra Bachao Yatra' was to start from Cooch Behar on December 7 and from two other places on December 9 and 14. After the single judge's verdict, these were rescheduled for December 22, 24 and 26. But, with the HC division bench asking the single judge bench to re-evaluate the material cited for denial of permission, BJP's rescheduled plan also went for a toss.

BJP also said that the TMC government had denied permission to its youth wing members in January to hold a bike-rally from Contai to Cooch Behar, which was held only after the HC cleared it.