For Amit Shah’s Kolkata Rally, BJP’s ’Guinness Record’

Mangalore Today News Network

Kolkata, Nov 28, 2014:  The BJP will move the Calcutta High Court today to seek permission to hold a rally by its chief Amit Shah in the city on Sunday.

 

Yesterday, both the city corporation as well as the Fire Brigade had denied permission for the rally, which the party wants to hold outside Victoria Hall in the heart of Kolkata.

"This must be a record in India...perhaps it can be entered in the Guinness book...we have gone to court three times to seek this venue," was the acerbic statement of the BJP’s Rahul Sinha after the corporation turned down his party’s application.  

The High Court had earlier asked the authorities to decide whether the rally should be allowed to go ahead by November 27.

Among the reasons cited by the authorities for denying permission is that BJP members have given an incomplete sketch of the stage they propose to build at the venue. The city police has also said that Mr Shah’s meeting would inconvenience commuters since a major traffic intersection is located at the venue.

The BJP has pointed out that no such concern has been expressed for the Chief Minister’s address to her party workers, held every July at the same venue. Alleging discrimination, the party has refused to consider an alternative location.

Mr Sinha said that the corporation objected to details like the location of the stage.  "Let the corporation design the stage, we are fine with that," Mr Sinha said.

Mr Shah, 50, who is credited with the BJP’s recent landslide victories in key states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, has asked his party workers in Bengal to maximize a new recruitment drive. Party workers disenchanted with the Trinamool Congress and the Left are reportedly switching sides in large numbers.