A 바카라murder of democracy바카라, cried BJP바카라s Bengal president Dilip Ghosh shrilly. The reference was to the Mamata Banerjee government바카라s repeated refusal to grant permission to the party to hold 바카라Rath Yatras바카라 in West Bengal.
Planned since early 2018 as the programme that would kick-start the BJP바카라s massive Bengal campaign before the general elections of 2019, the 바카라Ganatantra Bachao바카라 or 바카라Save Democracy바카라 mega rallies were to take off from different parts of the state in December. BJP national president Amit Shah was supposed to flag off a procession from north Bengal바카라s Cooch Behar district. Other BJP leaders slated to be present for the programmes were Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP general secretary in-charge of West Bengal, Kailash Vijayvargiya and Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb. The centrepiece of the rallies was to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was to make an appÂearance during one or more segments of the rally on Sunday, December 16. But the Bengal Police, denying permission in a final, official communication on DeceÂmber 15, told the BJP state unit that as per intelligence reports, the rallies would ignÂite communal clashes and turn into events of 바카라communal propaganda바카라. OrgaÂnisations with an 바카라overtly communal바카라 ageÂNDA like Bajrang Dal, VHP and RSS would also be involved, it said.
BJP sources stated that if the rallies could not be held, it was not a loss just for the BJP but for West Bengal. 바카라We had prepared events where the country바카라s top leaders would visit the remotest parts of the state to hear their problems, discuss solutions and challenges, but the cancellation of programmes deprived them of these opportunities,바카라 Sanghamitra ChouÂdhury, a BJP state unit leader tells Outlook. She pointed out that the BJP had started asking for permission to the state government and state police months ahead of the December dates because the scale of the political rallies were huge and it involved coordinating with schedules of the Centre바카라s top offÂice-holders바카라a matter of meticulous planning. 바카라But we were not even able to confirm whether or not the rallies would eventually take place,바카라 says a party worker. 바카라This is not just BJP바카라s loss. The state government and the police바카라s dismissal of our reqÂuest to allow the country바카라s most impÂortant political figuÂres to visit and address Bengal바카라s people is a loss for the entire state. Naturally, we are very disappointed.바카라
The state government maintained that the denial of permission was prompted by the threat of communal clashes on the polarising back of the proposed rallies. 바카라BJP rallies have gone out of hand earlier,바카라 a Trinamool Congress member tells OutÂlook. 바카라In March, after the BJP took out a Ram Navami procession in West Burdwan, violence raged for three days in Asansol and Raniganj,바카라 he says, referring to the gruesome communal conflagration. The TMC claimed that chosen routes of the BJP바카라s proposed yatras are through 바카라sensitive바카라 pocÂkÂÂets, including in Cooch Behar, from where Shah was to flag off a yatra.
In a further blow to the BJP바카라s plans, the government바카라s central argument, about communal unrest, was upheld by a single-Âbench judge of the Calcutta High Court. When the BJP moved court seeking a dirÂective to quash the government바카라s dismisÂsal, the HC refused to allow it permission, prompting the party to appeal to a division bench of the Calcutta HC. BJP souÂrces have promised to appeal to the SupÂÂreme Court, if required. 바카라We will not give up on our democratic rights to hold a rally,바카라 Ghosh tells Outlook. He also called for an imposition of president바카라s rule in West Bengal. 바카라We call it a murder of demÂocracy because the state government바카라s decision to stop us from holding the processions is tantamount to throttling the voice of the opposition. If this is allowed to continue it will ring the death knell for democracy in the state,바카라 he tells Outlook. 바카라We repose faith in the justice system and will continue to appeal for our democratic rights.바카라 The next hearing on the Rath Yatra is scheduled for January 9, 2019.Â
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- The BJP had planned rath yatras, coupled with big rallies, in December as part of its final push before Lok Sabha polls.
- The state government and the police denied permission, saying they are designed to ignite communal clashes.
- The BJP moved court, but the Calcutta HC refused to budge. The BJP has appealed to a division bench, vows to go to the SC.
By Dola Mitra in Calcutta
