BJP delegation meets state govt officials over Rath Yatra date

Kolkata: The date of the BJP Rath Yatra is yet to be finalised as the state government has not taken a decision in this regard.

BJP has urged the state government to inform them three days prior to the finalised date.

On Thursday, a BJP delegation comprising party leaders Dilip Ghosh, Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijayvargiya met top officials of the state administration at Lalbazar, following the order of Calcutta High Court.

Chief Secretary Malay De, Home Secretary Atri Bhattacharya and Director General of Police Virendra were present at the meeting on behalf of the state government.

The Rath Yatra was scheduled to start on December 7 from Cooch Behar but could not as the state government did not grant permission as it feared that it might cause communal tension.

It was slated to be the first of three such rallies by BJP before the Lok Sabha polls next year.

A Calcutta High Court division Bench of justices Biswanath Somadder and A Mukherjee had disposed of an appeal by BJP against a single Bench order on December 6 that refused permission for its Rath Yatra and directed the state to hold the meeting by Wednesday.