Kolkata Police rubbishes BJP’s claims on Amit Shah rally

Kolkata Police on Wednesday, August 1 said it has already allowed Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah's rally to be held in the city on August 11, refuting the saffron outfit's allegation that the permission process was being deliberately delayed.

"Some unwarranted speculation in social media about denial of permission to a political party on 11 August has come to our notice. It is to clarify that on request permission for meeting has already been granted," the city police department wrote on Twitter.

Shah's rally will be held in a central Kolkata's Mayo road on that day.

Derek O’Brien, MP from Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and its parliamentary party leader in the Rajya Sabha said "BJP and its National President have become nervous, tense. Their programme for Aug 3 in Kolkata was promptly granted permission. For their Aug 11 programme, they only just sent a letter and permission granted. Happy journey to the land of peace and harmony, Bangla. Love your neighbour.”

Earlier in the day, the Yuba Morcha (youth wing) of BJP's Bengal unit alleged that the they have not received any official permission for Shah's rally despite a formal application days ago.

Shah then said he does not need the Bengal government's permission to come to Kolkata and grandiosely dared the state administration to arrest him.

This would be Shah's second visit to Bengal within 45 days after he came here on a two-day visit on June 27 and met the families of BJP activists allegedly killed in post-panchayat poll violence in the state's Purulia district.

With IANS inputs