The Supreme Court has asked the West Bengal government to allow BJP’s proposed public meetings and rallies in the state under the party’s Ganatantra Bachao Yatra.
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 asked the West Bengal government to consider the revised schedule of the ‘Rath Yatra’ keeping in mind the fundamental right of speech and expression under the Constitution.
It 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 had earlier sought response from the state government on BJP’s plea seeking permission to take out ‘Rath Yatra’ in the state.
The BJP’s Bengal unit had challenged the last month’s order of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which had set aside the order of a single-judge bench allowing the procession.
The party 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.