Bengal BJP approaches HC after permission denied for mega rally

Kolkata, Nov 20 (IANS) `The BJP's West Bengal unit on Monday approached the Calcutta High Court after the city police denied permission to the party to stage a mega rally on November 29, which was supposed to be attended by Union Home Amit Shah.

The rally has been organised to highlight alleged irregularities by the state government in implementing the centrally-sponsored 100-day job scheme under MGNREGA.

The bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha has admitted the petition and the matter will come up for hearing later in the day.

The proposed rally was being viewed as a counter action against the Trinamool Congress’s protest last month in Delhi against the Centre’s reluctance to release funds under different schemes, especially the MGNREGA.

The state BJP leadership wanted to display a gathering of those rural people who have been deprived of being employed under the 100-day job scheme because of the alleged irregularities in the distribution of job cards.

A member of the state BJP committee said that it has a common practice for the Kolkata Police or the West Bengal government to deny permission to any of the political programs organised by the opposition.

“And we too have become habituated to approach the Calcutta High Court, which in most cases overrule the denial of police permission and allow us to conduct the rally.

"In this case too we are hopeful of getting the permission for the November 29 rally from the Calcutta High Court,” the member said.

The BJP wants to organise the rally at the same venue in Kolkata, where the ruling Trinamool Congress holds its annual “Martyrs’ Day” rally every year on July 21.

Besides Shah, the party has also invited Union Minister of State for Rural Development Giriraj Singh and the State Minister Niranjan Jyoti to be in attendance.