Calcutta High Court allows Amit Shah's Rathyatra in West Bengal

The Mamata Banerjee-led government had refused permission for the proposed 'rath yatra', citing intelligence reports of possible communal violence in areas where the party is planning to take out the rallies.

The court slammed the reasoning of the Bengal government and said it would be "appropriate to permit the petitioner to hold the rally... to organise the yatras". "The petitioner will inform the police authorities, superintendent of district where the yatra shall enter, at least 12 hours before entering the concerned district. The commissioner will ensure conducting yatra in peaceful manner," the plea read.

The single bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty had given BJP lawyers 15 minutes to make their final argument and the state government 10 minutes to present their counter-argument before delivering the verdict.

The saffron party had moved the court on Monday after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had denied it permission, for the second time, to hold the yatras. Despite holding a meeting with the party leaders last week, the government had on Saturday said, in a letter to BJP, it would not be able to grant permission to take out the rallies due to law and order concerns.

In a letter to the BJP, the state government had said, “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 communal propaganda. Furthermore, during the period cited, major festivals and events are scheduled, and it requires a heavy deployment of the resources of the government, including the police force. We are therefore of the opinion that, for the reasons which have been elaborately mentioned. it is not possible to allow the yatra as proposed by the BJP.”