BJP rally in West Bengal: Amit Shah’s arrest threat worked, Kolkata police grants permission

Call it a fear psychosis or a political influence of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at Centre, things are getting shape according to their demands. Hours after BJP president Amit Shah challenged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest him, the Kolkata police granted permission for the proposed rally on August 11.

Earlier in the day, party has announced that Shah would address a rally at Mamata’s turf in Mayo Road of Kolkata in West Bengal. However, for hours BJP Yuva Morcha did not receive a ‘no-objection’ message from Kolkata police and alleged that Trinamool Congress leaders are afraid of BJP.

But as Shah challenged Mamata and Kolkata police to arrest him, a tweet was shared by the administration, granting permission to BJP to organise a political rally in West Bengal. The Kolkata Police tweeted, “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.”

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.

— Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) August 1, 2018

Informing about the confirmation, State BJP Yuva Morcha chief Debjit Sarkar said that Kolkata police has granted them the permission to hold the rally at the pre-scheduled place, in the heart of the state capital. Sarkar stated that the State unit of the party had submitted a formal application for organising the rally.

Taking a jibe at Shah and BJP, Trinamool Congress leaders had stated that the politicians in the saffron front are nervous. They wished him best of luck and welcomed Shah with a saying “happy journey to the land of peace and harmony”.

The tiff between the two parties took an ugly shape after the National Registrar of Citizens’ report was released in Guwahati on Monday, leading to the exclusion of 40.07 lakh people losing their identity. Harsh exchanges of words between Mamata and Shah were observed on the issue. The BJP president called Mamata playing a appeasement politics, while the latter alleged that BJP is implementing the ‘divide and rule’ policy.