In a meeting with top administrative officials, BJP leaders sought permission and new dates for the Gantantra Bachao Yatra or Rath Yatra in Bengal, clarifying that they will stick to the route and schedule planned before. Advertising A delegation of top BJP leaders, including national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, state president Dilip Ghosh and central committee member Mukul Roy met the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and DGP at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar on Thursday. The meeting was held following the Calcutta High Court’s directive asking the administration to hold meeting with BJP leaders over the proposed yatra. “Following the directions of High Court, we held meeting with the top administrative officials of the state. We made it clear that we want the route and the schedule of the Gantantra Bachao Yatra to remain the same. There should not be any change. We have already submitted the route and schedule to the administration long ago,” Dilip Ghosh told mediapersons after the meeting, held for nearly 30 minutes in the evening. “We have asked them to give us permission and new dates for the proposed yatra. We will need two-three days after the new dates are given so that we can seek time from national leaders,” Ghosh said, adding they have only sought fresh dates and public meetings will be held by national leaders along the route of the yatra as scheduled. Advertising “They (administrative officials) told us that they will let us know their decision shortly. The court has given time to them till Saturday.” It is learnt from BJP sources that the party is planning public meetings by party chief Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi in December end and early January coinciding with the yatra. The yatra was scheduled to be launched by Amit Shah from Cooch Behar on December 7. The 43-day yatra would have touched all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, concluding in Kolkata. The matter came up in the High Court on December 6 after the state government allegedly did not respond to letters by the BJP seeking permission for the yatra. The state government denied permission, citing the possibility of law and order problem and communal tension along the route in its report to the court. Justice Tapabrate Chakraborty directed that the yatra be suspended till a hearing on January 9. The BJP again approached the High Court and the Division Bench of Justices Biswanath Somadder and A Mukherjee on December 8 lifted the injunction, asking officials to hold a meeting with BJP leaders. The state government was asked to take a decision by Saturday.

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