SC directs WB govt to consider BJP's yatra plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to consider a plea by the state BJP for carrying out the 'contact programme' (yatras) over there.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked the West Bengal BJP to give a fresh schedule of its programmes which would be considered by the state government.

"The petitioner will submit a revised schedule of the Rath Yatra/Ganatantra Bachao Yatra/Chetna Yatra to the respondent state government during the course of the day. The state government shall consider the same," the bench said in its order.

The court issued notice to the West Bengal government on a special leave petition by the state BJP challenging a Calcutta High Court's division bench order of December 21, restraining it from taking out 'yatras' to cover every constituency there.

The party, in its petition, contended that its fundamental right to hold a peaceful 'yatra' cannot be withheld merely on ground of “surmises and conjectures” as made out by the state government.

The court put the matter for further consideration on January 15.

The "ganatantra bachao yatra" to cover 42 constituencies of West Bengal, which was originally scheduled from December 7 has been re-scheduled, but it cannot be started due to “illegal denial” of permission by the state authorities, the petitioner claimed.