BJP Party Chief, Amit Shah on Friday vowed to hold the procession democratically hours after the Kolkata High Court declined permission to the BJP from holding a 'Rath Yatra' in West Bengal.
Declaring that the BJP's growth in West Bengal has scared Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP president Amit Shah accused her of "throttling" democracy in the state by denying permission to three 'yatras' of his party.
"Mamata Banerjee is scared of BJP's growth in West Bengal, that's why she has denied permission for the Rath Yatra in the state.
"I can understand her fear (of declining public support). But I have no solution for it... This is the public's decision... to support the BJP," he said.
Clarifying that the Rath Yatra is not cancelled but temporarily stalled, he said, "The yatra will happen ater the court permission and we shall even go to the Supreme Court."
"There is no reason to stop the yatra because in all of our yatras there has been no report of communal tensions and violence," he said addressing a press conference at the party headquarters.
His party's expansion in the state and win in over 7,000 seats in panchayat polls has rattled the Trinamool Congress chief. It is giving her "sleepless nights" and left her "scared", Shah said.
"She knows these yatras will lay the foundation for change. That is why she is trying to stop them," he said.
"Where earlier one used to hear Rabindra Sangeet, now we hear bomb blasts," he said.
The BJP's expansion was a reason behind violence in the panchayat elections, allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers, with more than 20 BJP workers being victims of political killing, he said.
Shah cited the murder of three party workers and asked Banerjee what action the police had taken so far.
Such massive violence was not seen even during the Left government, he alleged, adding that the police and Trinamool Congress combined to abet political murders.
Toll of violence "has been the highest under the Mamata government. BJP alone has suffered 20 casualties," he said. Adding, "Governance has collapsed in West Bengal and people there are looking for change."
Despite the situation, the BJP leader said his party has not pressed for President's Rule. Buoyed by the growing support in the state, Shah said, "Those confident of winning does not seek President rule. We are going to win in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha polls."
He said BJP had sought permission for three rallies in West Bengal ahead of the general elections.
"We have also sent reminders and the processes have been on since October but we have not got any permissions so far," he said.
"She knows that these rallies will give BJP a big surge in the state and there is a concerted effort to stifle democratic processes in the West Bengal. Democracy, in fact, is being murdered in West Bengal."
Shah also rejected the state government's claim that his party's events will lead to communal tension, saying he visited the state 23 times as BJP president and there had never been any communal flare-up.
The TMC and the state police are often behind communal incidents, he alleged.
(With Agency Inputs)
