Narendra Modi's Varanasi Rally Disallowed, BJP Retaliates With Roadshow for Him

Varanasi: The most hotly contested territory in this election, Varanasi, shot into a flashpoint on Wednesday between the Election Commission and the BJP after the party's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, was refused permission for three events today.

A seething BJP said this amounts to a ban on Mr Modi in his own constituency, which votes on May 12.

In retaliation, Mr Modi will hold a roadshow today, driving from the Benares Hindu University (BHU) where his helicopter will land to the party's headquarters.

After a series of written protests on Wednesday to the Election Commission, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said last evening that it is too late now to advertise the three events originally planned for Mr Modi - a rally, special prayers on the banks of the Ganga, and a meeting at a hotel with 150 private citizens.

Mr Jaitley will lead demonstrations this morning outside the Benares Hindu University along with Mr Modi's chief aide Amit Shah.

The Election Commission's representative, Returning Officer Pranjal Yadav, claimed earlier on Wednesday that the BJP had agreed to a new venue for Mr Modi's rally. Demanding the removal of Mr Yadav for blatant "bias", Mr Jaitley asked, "Are we out of our mind to ask for a venue that can hold only 2,000 people?" (Watch: 'Don't need permission to drive on Varanasi's roads')

The Election Commission replied that it does not accept "insinuations of bias" and promised action if "if any officer is found wanting or working in a partisan manner."

The BJP says first it was told that the venue for Modi's rally had already been assigned to an NGO; then it was told that intelligence agency officials felt it was an unsuitable location.

"Permissions from returning officer came too late... If there is a security threat, why wasn't IB report made public?" said Mr Modi's close aide Amit Shah.

"The roads around are too narrow, there could be over-crowding," said Pranjal Yadav, the District Magistrate and the Returning Officer.

In his first parliamentary election, Mr Modi is running against Arvind Kejriwal, the head of the Aam Aadmi Party, and Ajay Rai of the Congress. (Also read: Narendra Modi's 41 rivals in Varanasi and their symbols)