Kolkata: The Kolkata police filed a petition before a Calcutta high court division bench on Wednesday challenging a single bench order which permitted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hold a rally at Esplanade on November 29, government officials said.

With eyes on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Bengal BJP leadership has requested Union home minister Amit Shah to address the rally for which preparations are on to ferry party supporters from the districts in trains and buses. Shah, however, has not yet confirmed whether he will address the rally, BJP leaders said on Wednesday.

Acting on a petition filed by BJP, the single bench of justice Rajasekhar Mantha allowed the rally on Monday and observed that Kolkata police cannot discriminate s while issuing permission for political events.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) holds a rally on July 21 every year at the same location, the BJP said in its petition.

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The BJP moved the single bench after the Kolkata police raised objections saying movement of traffic will be paralysed if Esplanade remains blocked for hours.

“How can the police allow only TMC to hold rallies at Esplanade and stop BJP, Congress and Left parties? We will fight it out at the division bench. The Kolkata police will suffer another blow in court,” Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said.

TMC leaders dismissed BJP’s criticism, citing the 2021 assembly poll results.

“It was Shah who announced during (the last election) campaign that BJP would win more than 200 (of 294) seats in Bengal. His party could not even win 80 seats. BJP should stop dreaming about winning elections,” TMC Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen said.

The police did not comment on the court case.