In what was pitched as a counter-rally to the TMC's Brigade Parade Ground rally, the BJP on Monday called off its own such event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled for February 8.
State president Dilip Ghosh said on Monday that the proposed rally to be addressed by the PM has been cancelled as "the central leadership does not want the rally because they have their doubts about how successful it would be, given the short time left". He added that instead, they have asked the state unit to organise three smaller rallies — all of which will be addressed by Modi.
"The first one will be on January 28 at Siliguri, the second one will be on January 31 at Thakurnagar near the Indo-Bangladesh bordering area of North 24 Parganas district, and the third one will be on February 8 at Asansol," he said. He also claimed that there was a possibility of other Central leaders joining the address.
Meanwhile, in a media briefing on Monday, Union minister Piyush Goyal came down heavily on the West Bengal government for the 'out of control' law and order situation in the state. "There is a serious law and order deterioration and I believe that just like people had rejected the Left Front government in Tripura, Mamata is apprehending a similar thing in Bengal. That is why she is afraid to give permission for BJP rallies and meetings," Goyal said.
He added that their requests for yatras and rallies had been turned down on very flimsy grounds. "In the last seven years of TMC reign, law and order situation has touched rock bottom. Do the leaders who had gathered on the stage of the TMC's Brigade rally know about the ground reality there? Had the BJP denied permission to carry out rallies, there would be a lot of hue and cry of 'intolerance', but now no one is saying anything. The denial of carrying out Durga puja, Saraswati Puja and Ram Navami is clear indication of the situation there. It is the worst form of anarchy."
Why The Switch?
- The central leadership did not want the Feb 8 rally because they had doubts about how successful it would be, given the short time left.
- Instead, they have asked the state unit to organise three smaller rallies — all of which will be addressed by PM Modi.
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