BJP leaders up political ante against EC in Varanasi and New Delhi(Update/BJP Protest)

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and workers have gathered in huge numbers in both Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and in New Delhi to voice their protest against the Election Commission's decision not to allow their prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to address a rally in the congested Bemiyan area of Varanasi.

The protests in Varanasi are being held outside the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and are being led by senior leaders Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah.

Hundreds of BJP activists are wearing orange turbans and carrying and waving BJP flags at the venue.

In New Delhi, senior party leaders Harshvardhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, M.Venkaiah Naidu, Muktar Abbas Naqvi and others have reached the gates of the Election Commission headquarters to register their strong protests in a similar fashion.

Roads leading to the Election Commission have been blocked and security barricades have been set up outside the commission's gates to prevent the protests from taking a turn for the worse.

Television channels are reporting that senior BJP leaders are likely to have a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner V.Sampath over the issue, and thereafter, are likely to address the media on what transpired between the two sides.

"Rahul Gandhi gets permission (to conduct a road show in Varanasi on Saturday), but Modiji doesn't. This shows the returning officer's partial behaviour under government pressure," Ravi Shankar Prasad told ANI in New Delhi.