Men in constitutional offices need to be bolder: Jaitley

He took on the Election Commission and said 'timid men can dwarf high offices''

Taking on the Election Commission, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley on Thursday said 'timid men can dwarf high offices'.

"I cannot conceal my disappointment with the Election Commission. Men in constitutional offices need to be bolder. Timid men can dwarf high offices," Jaitley wrote in his blog.

"The Election Commission scrutinizes us all the time. They are extremely vigilant in tackling the side shows in the elections. They are concerned with what adjectives are used by whom. But when it comes to preventing booth capturing which has reappeared after a decade in elections 2014 they are out of their depth," he added.

He also said that the EC by condoning the returning officer's stand on 'No-Modi rally' in Varanasi city has used the security card to prevent Narendra Modi's right to campaign in his constituency.

"If you can't ensure security, don't hold the polls in the country. But if you do hold the polls, please provide a level playing field. You cannot deny the candidate the right to campaign. Rahul Gandhi can have a road show in Varanasi, but Narendra Modi cannot have a rally. The security card is selectively used," he added.

The BJP has expressed its outrage over the Varanasi District administration's denial of permission to Modi for holding one of the two rallies in Varanasi on Thursday.

The party is protesting in Varanasi and Delhi against the decision. BJP leader Arun Jaitley, along with Amit Shah, will lead the protest in Varanasi, while Harshvardhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, M.Venkaiah Naidu and Muktar Abbas Naqvi are leading the protest in front of the Election Commission in New Delhi.

Roads leading to the Election Commission in New Delhi have been cordoned off and security barricades have been set up to prevent any untoward incidents in the area.

The BJP had sought permission to organise five events which included a rally by Modi in Beniya Bagh ground in Varanasi.

Modi is contesting from the holy city of Varanasi that will go to polls in the last phase of elections on May 12.

BJP senior leader Arun Jaitley called the move as unprecedented, and said it was a deliberate interference in conducting free and fair polls in the world's largest democracy.