Private College: JD(U) blames UP govt as it calls off Nitish’s rally in Varanasi
PATNA: JD(U) claimed on Thursday that a rally that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was to address in PM Narendra
PATNA: JD(U) claimed on Thursday that a rally that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was to address in PM Narendra Modi’s Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency on December 24 was cancelled after the private college where it was to be organised denied permission under pressure from UP’s Yogi Adityanth-led BJP government. The Varanasi district authorities, however, said they were unaware of the matter.
Senior JD(U) leader and state rural development minister Shrawan Kumar claimed that the Jagatpur Inter College had initially given assurance for the use of its grounds but reneged at the last moment.
The college is located in the Rohaniya assembly constituency in Varanasi. Most of its residents are Patels, from Nitish’s Kurmi caste. The rally was part of JD(U)’s Lok Sabha poll campaign.
“The college authorities kept us waiting for five days before saying no to us. They didn’t allot us the space saying “ham asamarth hain (we are unable to),” the minister told TOI over phone from Varanasi on Thursday.
“Strangely, the rallies of many other parties, such as Congress and BJP, were held in the past (at the college grounds) and we were hopeful of holding the JD(U) programme there,” Shrawan added. Shrawan, in charge of JD(U) affairs in UP, alleged that that the state was under Adityanth’s “dictatorship” and termed the denial of permission for the rally a “murder of democracy”.
“We were told that the state government threatened the college administration with dire consequences if it gave land for the meeting. They threatened to bulldoze the building and cancel its affiliation if it granted nod for the meeting. Ultimately, we had no option but to cancel the rally,” the minister said.
Shrawan said that “we will move the people’s court”. “After getting the people’s response, we will take the next step,” Shrawan said.
Senior JD(U) leader and state rural development minister Shrawan Kumar claimed that the Jagatpur Inter College had initially given assurance for the use of its grounds but reneged at the last moment.
The college is located in the Rohaniya assembly constituency in Varanasi. Most of its residents are Patels, from Nitish’s Kurmi caste. The rally was part of JD(U)’s Lok Sabha poll campaign.
“The college authorities kept us waiting for five days before saying no to us. They didn’t allot us the space saying “ham asamarth hain (we are unable to),” the minister told TOI over phone from Varanasi on Thursday.
“Strangely, the rallies of many other parties, such as Congress and BJP, were held in the past (at the college grounds) and we were hopeful of holding the JD(U) programme there,” Shrawan added. Shrawan, in charge of JD(U) affairs in UP, alleged that that the state was under Adityanth’s “dictatorship” and termed the denial of permission for the rally a “murder of democracy”.
“We were told that the state government threatened the college administration with dire consequences if it gave land for the meeting. They threatened to bulldoze the building and cancel its affiliation if it granted nod for the meeting. Ultimately, we had no option but to cancel the rally,” the minister said.
Shrawan said that “we will move the people’s court”. “After getting the people’s response, we will take the next step,” Shrawan said.
