Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’s second phase in Bengal facing administrative hurdles

Kolkata, Jan 29: There are clear indications that the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is all set to face administrative hurdles as it will enter into its second phase from Malda from January 31.

According to a West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) spokesman, the Congress state leadership’s proposal to host a lunch for Rahul Gandhi at the guest house of the state irrigation department at Bhaluka in Malda district on January 31 has been turned down by the state administration.

State Congress leaders said that the state administration has stated that since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be in Malda on that day for an administrative review programme, all the state-run guest houses would be out-of-bounds for any third party on that day.

Similarly, the Congress is yet to get the permission for conducting a meeting at Baharampur Stadium in Baharampur town of Murshidabad district on February 1.

In this case also, the Murshidabad district administration has stated the presence of the Chief Minister in the district on that day.

“We applied for permission for the lunch programme well in advance and maintained the proper norms on this count. However, our plea had been turned down at the last moment. Probably, the state government officials denied the permission fearing the rage of the Chief Minister,” said Congress’s Malda District General Secretary Bhupendranath Halder.

However, the Trinamool Congress leadership has accused the Congress of unnecessarily politicising the issue as it is a general practice of reserving state-run outfits for administrative purposes.

In the first phase of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from January 25, too, the Congress had faced various administrative hurdles.

On that day, the original stage at Boxirhat in Cooch Behar District, that was set up to welcome Rahul had to be dismantled and raised at an alternative private place following police objections.

After that, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police denied permission for a public meeting by Rahul in Siliguri town on January 28.

State Congress leaders said that the schedule of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at Jalpaiguri town will also have to be changed to an extent following insistence of the district police authorities.