A day after the Bengal Government denied permission citing law and order reasons to the BJP organising Rath Yatra in the State, the saffron party said it would move the High Court once again seeking orders directing the administration to clear the Yatra gridlock.
Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday said his party would move the High Court “once again to knock sense in this autocratic Government.”
The Trinamool Congress was “intentionally influencing the administration to withhold the permission for the Rath Yatra which has no religious implication but a purely political programme. In fact we were asked by the top officers present during the meeting and we made it clear that this is a political programme and has nothing to do with any religious issue,” Ghosh said adding the Government was still blocking the Yatra because the ruling party was convinced of BJP’s rising graph in the State.
“Bengal is a fit case for Article 356 and we will take this issue up at a future date if such undemocratic situation continues,” he said adding the “by stopping the Yatra on law and order grounds only shows the feeble administrative condition in the State,” he maintained.
Earlier the representatives of the BJP and the State Government engaged in bilateral talks following a High Court order. After the talks the Government denied permission to the Yatra saying “the areas proposed to be covered by the Yatra are, because of publicity and propaganda gradually turning into communally sensitive pockets. Intelligence reports indicate that public perception is that the religious overtones of the Yatra will be turned into a propaganda.”
It also quoted intelligence reports saying “in several districts, organisations with overtly communal agenda like the RSS, Bajrang Dal and the VHP would actively join the ‘Yatra’. This is grave apprehension of ‘breach of peace’ and communal violence during and in the aftermath of the Yatra.”
On Sunday senior State Ministers including Jyoti Priya Mullick and Sadhan Pandey quoted from a speech of Sadhwi Saraswati — who on Saturday while delivering a public speech from the dais of Hindu Jagran Manch asked the Hindus to “spend Rs 1,000 each and get yourselves swords … and behead those who indulge in love jihad,” — saying “these people from the Sangh Parivar are trying to ignite communal riots in the State and the Yatra will only add fuel to fire.”
The Government had done the right thing by denying permission to the Yatra, they said suggesting the State would in every likelihood use the Sadhwi’s speech to buttress its arguments in the Court.
Meanwhile the CPI(M), alleged the Trinamool Congress was trying to “provide oxygen to a moribund BJP which was licking its wounds after the electoral defeat in Hindi heartland.”
The Government by denying permission to the Yatra was “making the BJP more relevant knowing full well that they don’t have the organisational strength to organise such a huge show. Denying permission to them will lead to press statements and street corner meets which will only help BJP collect sympathy from the market” senior CPI(M) leader Tanmoy Bhattacharya said.