BJP questions EC nod to Rahul's roadshow near Varanasi's Beniya Bagh area

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday questioned the Election Commission's nod to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's roadshow in Varanasi's Muslim dominated and congested Beniya Bagh area, the same place where its party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was denied permission to hold a rally.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said: "I would only like to say that Rahul's roadshow is being held at the same place where we were not allowed to hold a rally. So the EC has to live with this fact that in Beniyabagh region the security reasons are only applicable on the BJP and not on the rest of the parties."

"This shows that there were no security concerns regarding the rally and it was due to political reasons that we were not allowed to hold a rally," he added.

He also said that this incident will be dark spot on the electoral process of the country.

Rahul is campaigning in Varanasi for Congress candidate Ajay Rai, who is pitted against Modi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal.

The roadshow started from Gol Gadda area of Varanasi and will extend for about 11 kilometres. The Congress supporters had already gathered before the Congress vice president arrived.

Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mukul Wasnik are accompanying Rahul.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is also slated to hold a rally in Varanasi today.