Election Commission working under pressure: Narendra Modi

Denied permission to hold a rally at a venue of its choice in Varanasi, Narendra Modi today launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission accusing it of working under pressure. Modi alleged the cancellation of his rally in Varanasi was a result of "match-fixing" by the mother-son government, an apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing a rally at a place about 12 kilometers away from Varanasi, from where Modi is fighting Lok Sabha polls, BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate said they have raked up security concerns to get his rallies cancelled. Even if there were security risks for him in rallies in Varanasi, then "can't this mother-son government at the Centre give security to one person"? he said.

Modi took a jibe at the local administration and election authorities, saying the talk of security risks can't be believed as there appeared no such risks in Rohaniya which is just 12km away. He also claimed "union Home and Finance Ministers have themselves said that there was no security threat to Modi". 

BJP wanted to hold the rally at Beniabagh locality in the heart of Varanasi while Rohania is a rural assembly constituency outside main Varanasi city but within the Lok Sabha constituency. Both the areas have sizable population of Muslims.