HC dismisses PIL seeking to stop BJP's Parivartan Yatra rallies in Bengal

The Calcutta High Court onThursday dismissed a petition seeking to stop the BJP'songoing Parivartan Yatra rallies across West Bengal, observingthat it cannot be entertained as a public interest litigation(PIL).

A division bench comprising justices Rajesh Bindal andAniruddha Roy observed that the petition filed by an advocate,who is directly connected to the ruling Trinamool Congress inWest Bengal, ''can be said to be a private interestlitigation''.

The PIL was moved by lawyer Ramaprasad Sarkar,claiming that the Parivartan Yatra rallies would affect theCovid-19 situation and law and order in the state.

The BJP has started a month-long Parivartan Yatra fromFebruary 6, as part of which it intends to take out fiverallies criss-crossing the state ahead of the assemblyelections in West Bengal which is due in April-May.

The petition which was filed by an advocate, ''who isdirectly connected with a political party in power raisingissues against another political party during election timecannot be said to be in larger public interest,'' the courtobserved and dismissed the PIL.

The advocate is a member of the Calcutta High CourtTrinamool Law Cell.