Supreme Court refuses to give go ahead to BJP's Rath Yatra in West Bengal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to give a go-ahead to BJP's Rath Yatra in West Bengal. The top court, however, said that the BJP state unit can conduct meetings and rallies.&nbsp;

The bench said the apprehension of the state government of possible law and order situation cannot be called "unfounded" and BJP will have to take all possible steps to address the apprehension in a reasonable manner.

The apex court added that if the BJP comes out with a revised plan of Yatra, it may be considered it later, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the BJP's West Bengal unit to submit a revised schedule of its proposed 'Rath Yatra' with the authorities and seek necessary approvals.

The bench also comprising Justices L N Rao and SK Kaul asked the West Bengal government to consider the revised schedule of the BJP for 'Rath Yatra' keeping in mind the fundamental right of speech and expression under the Constitution, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

The BJP has now decided to cut short its 40-day programme to 20 and the fresh 'Yatras' would start from Baharampur in Murshidabad district, Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, Medinipur and the Lok Sabha constituency of Kolkata North, a lawyer associated with the matter said, adding that the decision was taken in view of the upcoming school examinations and the general elections.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sc-seeks-west-bengal-governments-response-on-bjp-plea-seeking-permission-for-rath-yatra-188949">West Bengal unit of the BJP has challenged</a> the December 21 order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which had set aside the order of a single-judge bench allowing the procession.

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SC refused to give a go ahead for the BJP's Yatra in West Bengal. The Apex Court, however, said that the BJP state unit can conduct meetings and rallies. SC said, if BJP comes out with a revised plan of fresh Yatra, that may be considered afresh later. <a href="https://t.co/TbvYiRQply">pic.twitter.com/TbvYiRQply</a>
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An apex court bench headed by Justice S K Kaul also asked the BJP state unit to submit a revised plan for its "Save Democracy Rally" for consideration by the state government.

The bench posted the matter for hearing on January 15.

The BJP's West Bengal unit has approached the apex court seeking permission to take out the rally, which would cover 42 parliamentary constituencies in the state ahead of general elections to be held this year. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

In its plea, the BJP has said that their fundamental right to hold a peaceful yatra cannot be withheld, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

The party had planned to launch the yatra from three districts of the state.

The rallies, according to the original schedule, were supposed to be flagged off by BJP president Amit Shah from Bengal's Cooch Behar district on December 7, Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum on December 14, PTI reported.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to give a go-ahead to BJP's Rath Yatra in West Bengal. The top court, however, said that the BJP state unit can conduct meetings and rallies.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to give a go-ahead to BJP's Rath Yatra in West Bengal. The top court, however, said that the BJP state unit can conduct meetings and rallies. The bench said the apprehension of the state government of possible law and order situation cannot be called "unfounded" and BJP will have to take all possible steps to address the apprehension in a reasonable manner. The apex court added that if the BJP comes out with a revised plan of Yatra, it may be considered it later, news agency ANI reported. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the BJP's West Bengal unit to submit a revised schedule of its proposed 'Rath Yatra' with the authorities and seek necessary approvals. The bench also comprising Justices L N Rao and SK Kaul asked the West Bengal government to consider the revised schedule of the BJP for 'Rath Yatra' keeping in mind the fundamental right of speech and expression under the Constitution, news agency PTI reported. The BJP has now decided to cut short its 40-day programme to 20 and the fresh 'Yatras' would start from Baharampur in Murshidabad district, Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, Medinipur and the Lok Sabha constituency of Kolkata North, a lawyer associated with the matter said, adding that the decision was taken in view of the upcoming school examinations and the general elections. The West Bengal unit of the BJP has challenged the December 21 order of the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which had set aside the order of a single-judge bench allowing the procession. SC refused to give a go ahead for the BJP's Yatra in West Bengal. The Apex Court, however, said that the BJP state unit can conduct meetings and rallies. SC said, if BJP comes out with a revised plan of fresh Yatra, that may be considered afresh later. pic.twitter.com/TbvYiRQply — ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2019 × An apex court bench headed by Justice S K Kaul also asked the BJP state unit to submit a revised plan for its "Save Democracy Rally" for consideration by the state government. The bench posted the matter for hearing on January 15. The BJP's West Bengal unit has approached the apex court seeking permission to take out the rally, which would cover 42 parliamentary constituencies in the state ahead of general elections to be held this year. In its plea, the BJP has said that their fundamental right to hold a peaceful yatra cannot be withheld, news agency PTI reported. The party had planned to launch the yatra from three districts of the state. The rallies, according to the original schedule, were supposed to be flagged off by BJP president Amit Shah from Bengal's Cooch Behar district on December 7, Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum on December 14, PTI reported. (With inputs from PTI)

Supreme Court refuses to clear BJP's Rath Yatra for now, asks Bengal government to consider revised schedule

BJP's ‘save democracy’ Rath Yatra (chariot journey), that was scheduled to commence from three different points this Saturday and conclude with party President Amit Shah's public rally after crossing through all the Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal, has been grounded even before it could take-off as the Supreme Court this Monday refused to accord a priority hearing on BJP's application challenging a Calcutta High Court order preventing the Yatra in West Bengal.

The Mamata Banerjee government has stiffly opposed BJP's yatra. It used what it calls “intelligence feedback” to drive home the communal angle and raise the law and order issue through a petition filed in the Calcutta high court to stall the Yatra.

At the outset, a single judge bench of the Calcutta high court allowed the Yatra. But a Division Bench of the high court struck down this order after the Mamata government had challenged it.

Since winter holidays were starting, the BJP approached the Supreme Court to seek an urgent hearing in this matter but as the request has been denied by the apex court, the matter will now come up for hearing in the normal course when the court reopens in January 2019. Till then the Yatra would remain on the back-burner and in the interim people will be witnessing a battle of wits and a war of words between the BJP and All India Trinamool Congress, the ruling party in West Bengal.

After the BJP took up the Ayodhya temple issue, senior party leader L K Advani had embarked on his famous padyatra in September 1990. Advani’s Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra is now history. In 2011, Advani took out another yatra - Jan Chetna Yatra to take on UPA government on the corruption issue.

Except for the nomenclature, there is no ground to compare Advani’s Yatra with BJP’s now postponed “Save Democracy Rath Yatra” in Bengal which is directed against the Mamata Banerjee government and more particularly aimed at building public opinion against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. BJP views it as a serious issue and the main reason leading to distress among the state's youth. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has already launched a campaign in support of a National Register of Citizens on the same lines as Assam to weed out the illegal Bangladeshis from Bengal.&nbsp;

The social media has been loaded with comments both for and against BJP’s save democracy Rath Yatra. A Twitter post in defence of the BJP said: If this (stopping the BJP from taking out its Rat Yatra) is not akin to Emergency what else is? &nbsp;Can law and order be an alibi to prevent freedom of Expression?

The present impasse and its outcome will have a far-reaching impact on BJP’s campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha election not only in Bengal but also in other parts of the country. The stakes are too high for the BJP which has already suffered defeat in the just concluded Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh - the Hindi heartland states.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

BJP's ‘save democracy’ Rath Yatra (chariot journey), that was scheduled to commence from three different points this Saturday and conclude with party President Amit Shah's public rally after crossing through all the Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal, has been grounded even before it could take-off as the Supreme Court this Monday refused to accord a priority hearing on BJP's application challenging a Calcutta High Court order preventing the Yatra in West Bengal.

BJP's ‘save democracy’ Rath Yatra (chariot journey), that was scheduled to commence from three different points this Saturday and conclude with party President Amit Shah's public rally after crossing through all the Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal, has been grounded even before it could take-off as the Supreme Court this Monday refused to accord a priority hearing on BJP's application challenging a Calcutta High Court order preventing the Yatra in West Bengal. The Mamata Banerjee government has stiffly opposed BJP's yatra. It used what it calls “intelligence feedback” to drive home the communal angle and raise the law and order issue through a petition filed in the Calcutta high court to stall the Yatra. At the outset, a single judge bench of the Calcutta high court allowed the Yatra. But a Division Bench of the high court struck down this order after the Mamata government had challenged it. Since winter holidays were starting, the BJP approached the Supreme Court to seek an urgent hearing in this matter but as the request has been denied by the apex court, the matter will now come up for hearing in the normal course when the court reopens in January 2019. Till then the Yatra would remain on the back-burner and in the interim people will be witnessing a battle of wits and a war of words between the BJP and All India Trinamool Congress, the ruling party in West Bengal. After the BJP took up the Ayodhya temple issue, senior party leader L K Advani had embarked on his famous padyatra in September 1990. Advani’s Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra is now history. In 2011, Advani took out another yatra - Jan Chetna Yatra to take on UPA government on the corruption issue. Except for the nomenclature, there is no ground to compare Advani’s Yatra with BJP’s now postponed “Save Democracy Rath Yatra” in Bengal which is directed against the Mamata Banerjee government and more particularly aimed at building public opinion against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. BJP views it as a serious issue and the main reason leading to distress among the state's youth. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has already launched a campaign in support of a National Register of Citizens on the same lines as Assam to weed out the illegal Bangladeshis from Bengal. The social media has been loaded with comments both for and against BJP’s save democracy Rath Yatra. A Twitter post in defence of the BJP said: If this (stopping the BJP from taking out its Rat Yatra) is not akin to Emergency what else is? Can law and order be an alibi to prevent freedom of Expression? The present impasse and its outcome will have a far-reaching impact on BJP’s campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha election not only in Bengal but also in other parts of the country. The stakes are too high for the BJP which has already suffered defeat in the just concluded Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh - the Hindi heartland states. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

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Supreme Court refuses to give go ahead to BJP's Rath Yatra in West Bengal

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WION Gravitas: BJP's Bengal Rath Yatra faces road block again