HC asks WB govt to submit footage of meeting with BJP

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday asked the West Bengal government to submit the video footage of the meeting held between government officials and BJP leaders regarding the BJP’s rath yatra in the state.

The meeting was recently held at the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar in central Kolkata.

The development comes after the BJP approached the high court challenging the state government’s decision of denying permission for the rath yatra on the ground that it may result into a communal tension.

“The high court has asked the state government to submit the video footage of the meeting between government officials and BJP representatives. The government has been instructed to submit the footage during the next hearing on Wednesday,” Brajesh Jha, a lawyer representing the BJP, told DH.

He also said that the court has asked the BJP in which manner they seek to conduct the rath yatra.

The state BJP leadership is however confident of getting a positive verdict from the high court.

“We have not done anything illegal and are going by the law. We are hopeful of a positive verdict from the high court,” state BJP vice president Jay Prakash Mazumdar said.

The BJP’s proposed rath yatra was scheduled to start from December 7 and was to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.

Meanwhile, a lawyer of the Calcutta High Court has filed a PIL urging the court not to grant permission for the BJP’s rath yatra as it may disrupt communal harmony in the state.

The lawyer, Ramaprashad Sarkar, in his PIL filed before a division bench has also urged the state government not to grant permission for the rath yatra.

In case it is unable to get permission for the rath yatra, the state BJP leadership has decided to hold public meetings and processions across the state.

According to the party leadership, in places where the state administration will not grant them permission to hold the rallies, BJP workers will stage law violation programmes.