In an attempt to extend their election campaign to the doorsteps of citizens, BJP chief JP Nadda had flagged off the ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’ last week.
BJP president JP Nadda taking part in 'Parivartan Rathyatra'. (Twitter/@BJP4Bengal)
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday refused to give a stay order to BJP’s ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’, sending a sense of relief to the saffron party camp.
A division bench of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Aniruddha Ray did not accept lawyer Ramprasad Sarkar’s plea to stay the ‘Rathyatra’.
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Sarkar had cited the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation and said that huge gatherings could have detrimental effect.
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Representing BJP, Mahesh Jethmalani argued that the ‘Rathyatra’ had already begun from February 6 and that it was a conspiracy from the TMC-led state government to restrict it.
The court would announce its final decision after another round of hearing on Thursday. Jethmalani had requested a stay order of the hearing by two days, which was denied by Justice Bindal and Justice Ray.
In an attempt to reach people at their doorsteps ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Election, BJP president JP Nadda flagged off the party’s ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’ from Nabadwip in Nadia district, the birthplace of 15th century saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to inaugurate two of the five proposed yatras later this month, the first of which will happen on Thursday. Several other top BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, are also likely to take part.
The Hindutva brigade has planned to launch similar yatras from Coochbehar, Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Tarapith in Birbhum between February 6 and 11.
The state government has asked the BJP to seek permission from local district administrations before embarking on the yatra.
Meanwhile, Nadda, who kicked off the second phase of party’s ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’ from Tarapith in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, returned without attending a scheduled event in Jhargram due to low turnout on Tuesday.
According to ABP Ananda, Nadda reached the location after attending a rally in Lalgarh. However, without going up at the dais, BJP’s national president waited for half an hour at a nearby party office.
While Nadda stationed himself, most of the chairs remained empty at the ground where the cultural event was organised by the BJP. The saffron party leader finally left after expected crowd did not gather at the programme.
Bengal BJP leader Raju Banerjee said, “The artists could not make it to the Adivasi cultural programme as they were trapped in traffic caused by our huge ‘Parivartan Rathyatra’ rally in Lalgarh.”
“Also Nadda ji had an important meeting scheduled afterwards and we got to know that the cultural team would not be able to make it. So he left,” Banerjee added.
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