Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS): The West Bengal BJP on Wednesday approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the denial of permission by Kolkata Police to conduct puja of Lord Ram at Kalighat on January 22, the occasion of the inauguration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

The single-judge Bench of Justice Sengupta has admitted the petition and the matter is expected to come up for hearing next week.

Kolkata’s iconic Kalighat Kali temple and the residence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are also near the area where a local club, backed by the BJP, has proposed to organise the programme on January 22.

The petitioner Tushar Kanti Ghosh, who is also the chief of the media cell of the BJP in West Bengal, has claimed that although the local club Bahumukhi Seva Samity, had sought police permission at least a month ago to organise the worship of Lord Rama at Kalighat on January 22 the police had denied permission for it.

This programme is part of the BJP’s statewide plans for live screening of the consecration ceremony on giant LED screens besides distributing ‘prasad’ among people and organising cultural programmes on the occasion.

According to Ghosh, Bahumukhi Seva Samity, also sought permission for the same from the police. However, he claimed, the police have denied permission without giving any valid reason and he had sought the intervention of the Calcutta High Court in the matter.