KOLKATA: BJP has agreed to change the dates of the statewide rathyatra programme in West Bengal. The saffron party has, however, refused to change the route plan submitted to the police. After a meeting with Bengal government representatives, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “We informed the state government that we want to organise our programme the way it was scheduled.
Only the dates will be changed.” The ‘rath yatra’ was scheduled to start on December 7 from Coochbehar but could not as the state government denied permission on the grounds that it might cause communal tension.Ghosh said that the Bengal government would have a meeting on the issue and a decision would be officially conveyed to the BJP.
The BJP held a meeting with Chief Secretary Malay Dey, Home Secretary Atri Bhattacharya and state Director General of Police Virendra. Apart from Ghosh, state BJP vice-president Jay Prakash Mazumdar, general secretary Pratap Banerjee and senior leader Mukul Roy were also present at the meeting on Thursday.
The Calcutta High Court had asked the TMC government to decide about the rathyatra by December 14. However, with BJP refusing to change its routes, the state government is expected to deny permission to the rathyatra which might send the case to the High Court again.