SC declines urgent hearing on BJP's plea on Rath Yatra

The West Bengal BJP on Monday approached the Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta High Court's division bench order of December 21, restraining the party from taking out 'yatras' to cover each constituency of the state.

The party sought an urgent hearing in the matter but the Supreme Court's registry declined the request.

The matter would now be taken up in January after the winter break.

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

“It is totally against the constitutional values of the nation as the right to protest has been recognised as a fundamental right under the Constitution and the assumptions cannot lead to arbitrary actions on the pretext of reasonable restrictions,” it said.

The party sought an immediate stay of the division bench order and sustaining of a single bench order permitting its 'yatras' as any further delay would lead its entire arrangement to go waste.

It claimed the state government was showing political vendetta and willfully trying to stop the petitioner from exercising its right to protest in violation of the democratic fabric of the country.

The 'ganatantra bachao yatra' to cover 42 constituency 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.

“Every time the petitioner is facing the same vindictive attitude of the state government. The state government cannot have any colour but in West Bengal, the government and the executives are working as political agents of All India Trinamool Congress and showing political vendetta towards the opposition,” it said.