Prohibitory orders imposed around Election Commission ahead of BJP protest New Delhi

The Delhi Police on Thursday imposed prohibitory orders around the Election Commission (EC) complex as Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) workers sought to hold a protest against the denial of permission for Narendra Modi to hold rally at a venue of his choice in Varanasi.

Section 144 of the CrPC restricting gathering of people was imposed as BJP activists were stopped around the nearby All India Radio (AIR) building and prevented from going towards the Commission.

Meanwhile, a delegation of party leaders led by M Venkaiah Naidu and Ravi Shankar Prasad met officials of the Election Commission over the refusal of permission by the Returning Officer of Varanasi constituency of which Modi is a candidate.

Naidu said that EC had called party leaders for a meeting over the refusal of Modi's rally.

"We have not come to protest here against EC, but the electoral officer of Varansai. We are going to meet EC's officials. In the meeting, we would request the EC to remove him so that fair elections would be done there," Naidu told reporters here before going into the meeting.