New Delhi, May 9 – BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi held a massive roadshow in Varanasi on Thursday after the Election Commission denied him permission to hold one of the two rallies in the temple town.
The roadshow began from outside the Banaras Hindu University, where earlier in the day thousands of BJP supporters were sitting on a dharna seeking the removal of a returning officer for denying the BJP’s PM candidate permission to hold a public meeting in the city over security issues.
All along the route, Modi was greeted by saffron-cap wearing supporters, who kept on chanting ‘Modi, Modi, Modi’ as the cavalcade made a slow progress to the venue of a meeting where he held closed-door discussions with senior leaders, workers and intellectuals.
Modi had earlier requested his supporters not to chant this slogan, which is inspired by ‘Har Har Mahadev’ — a traditional form of greeting here and used in prayers of Lord Shiva. The roadshow attracted massive crowds, akin to the crowds witnessed when Modi filed his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in April.
Unfazed by BJP’s all-out attack, the Election Commission rejected its accusations of bias in denying permission to Narendra Modi’s rally in Varanasi and made it clear that it was “not afraid of anyone, any political party or any entity” in doing its job.
At a hurriedly-called press conference, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath strongly defended the action of Varanasi returning officer Pranjal Yadav, saying his decision was based on “professional advice” and ruled out his removal as demanded by the BJP.
Before his drive-through, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate even addressed a rally nearby Rohaniya, on the outskirts of Varanasi city. Modi even accused the Election Commission of working under political influence by not allowing him to address a rally in Varanasi.
“I don’t know under whose pressure you [EC] are working. If Modi does give a speech, will the world sink? My silence has more power than his speech,” he said. “I was to speak at Benaras but those who have left the battlefield can’t tolerate Modi anymore. They can’t even see Modi’s face,” he said. He said that the government need not worry about his security as he was ready to die for his country.
“It is an attack on my democratic rights. Should I not get rights that every other candidate is entitled to get. I have been denied permission to meet mother Ganga too,” he said, while promising to come back for Ganga pujan soon.
He asked people to ensure that a strong government is put in place at Centre, and not something like the “government on mother-son oxygen” or some “remote control” government.
-INDIA TODAY
