WB govt cancels permission for GCPA meeting on Aug 28

Amidst the ongoing controversy over BSF allegedly training Narayani Sena of Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA), Coochbehar administration has cancelled the permission to GCPA to hold a rally on August 28.
"We have cancelled the permission to GCPA to hold a rally on August 28. We have cancelled it because they did not have proper papers of the land where they wanted to hold the rally," Coochbehar district magistrate P Ulaganathan said.
The decision comes a day after ruling TMC alleged that BSF was training Narayani Sena and had accused the Centre of trying to disrupt the smooth functioning of the state government.

However, the BSF have denied the allegation and termed it as "baseless".
The issue came into light following a recent probe report submitted by the DIG, Jalpaiguri Range at the state secretariat which said BSF officials in Mathabhanga area of Cooch Behar in north Bengal had imparted training to volunteers of Narayani Sena.
Narayani Sena is an alleged militia raised by GCPA in support of its demand for a separate state of Greater Cooch Behar on "ethnic grounds".
A senior BSF official on condition of anonymity denied the allegation saying, "We have not imparted any such training as is being projected. It is a baseless allegation. A few days ago during an Independence day function we had taught youths living on the border on the art of attention, to stand at ease as is done in the Army."

"It is not a new thing. We always encourage youths to join armed forces, BSF or the police and serve the nation. We don't know who is Narayani sena. If the police had reports of their anti-national activity, why didn't they take action?" he said.