Nobody can stop Bengal yatras: Shah

■ HC tells Mamata to decide on BJP plea for nod by Dec. 14 She ( Mamata) knows these yatras will lay the foundation for change. That is why she is trying to stop them. Amit Shah,

A day after being denied permission to take out three “rath yatras” in West Bengal, BJP chief Amit Shah said on Friday that the Mamata Banerjee- led ruling TMC is scared of the saffron party’s growing popularity and accused Didi of “throttling” democracy in the state by denying permission for its road shows.

Declaring that the BJP is in no mood to change its plans, Mr Shah said, “We will definitely carry out all ‘ yatras’, nobody can stop us. The BJP is committed to change in West Bengal. The ‘ yatras’ have not been cancelled, just postponed.”

Hitting out at Ms Banerjee, Mr Shah said, “She knows these yatras will lay the foundation for change. That is why she is trying to stop them… The way Mamata Banerjee is using her government to trample upon democratic norms is very undemocratic and is throttling democracy.”

Mr Shah’s attack on the TMC came soon after the Calcutta high court on Friday rapped the state government for not responding to BJP letters seeking permission for its rallies.

The division bench of the high court also directed top state officials to take a decision on the BJP’s “rath yatras” by December 14.

“Mamata didi’s attempts to deny the BJP its legitimate right to undertake political campaign in the state to expose TMC’s misgovernance has been thwarted by the court, which has asked Bengal administration to cooperate. Big win for democracy! BJP will soon set out on its ‘ Gantantra Bachao Yatra’,” tweeted Mr Shah.

The BJP had to postpone three “rath yatras” in the state due to the Mamata Banerjee government refusing permission on grounds that it anticipated “communal tension” and a single bench of the high court on Thursday rejecting the saffron

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BJP chief