Rath Yatra: Amit Shah attacks Mamata as hearing gets underway in Kolkata HC
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The bench directed BJP's lawyers to serve a copy of the appeal to the West Bengal government and other respondents before the matter is taken up for hearing
Even as a division bench of the Calcutta Calcutta High Court began hearing BJP's plea against refusal of permission for its Rath Yatra, party president Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Shah said Mamata is scared that with this rally foundation for a complete change will be laid down in the state. Hence, she is trying to stop all these yatras, he said.
Democratic process has been suppressed in West Bengal, with the misuse of power, he said.
There is no democracy in West Bengal, he said and added BJP sought permission for the rally multiple times.
Granting leave to the BJP to file the appeal, a division bench comprising Justices B Somadder and A Mukherjee began hearing at 12.30 pm on Friday.
The bench directed BJP's lawyers to serve a copy of the appeal to the West Bengal government and other respondents before the matter is taken up for hearing.
Earlier, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that his party has full faith in the judiciary and hoped it would be able to kick-start the Rath Yatra from today.
A single bench of the high court on Thursday said it cannot grant permission at this stage for the BJP rally in Coochbehar, scheduled to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah on Friday after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event on the grounds that it might cause communal tension.
The court directed that superintendents of police of all districts in West Bengal will file a report by December 21 to it on the holding of 'rath yatra' rallies by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after hearing all district presidents of the party.
Directing that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty observed that the prayer of BJP for permission to hold the Rath Yatra cannot be granted at this stage.
