SILIGURI: 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the scheduled public rally here on April 3 at a ground belonging to the Railways, after the West Bengal government denied permission for the venue earlier sought by the BJP.

The new venue for the prime minister’s rally sits adjacent to the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station, BJP’s Darjeeling district president Avijit Roy Chowdhury said on Saturday.

“The local administration did not give permission for the venue we had earlier selected. Then, we looked for another ground and got permission for it,” BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.

The BJP party had earlier selected a piece of land belonging to the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) in the state, which had denied consent for the PM’s rally.

“Earlier, too, similar incidents have happened when we were denied permission. But, the TMC cannot prevent BJP’s victory march by stopping us from holding rallies,” Mr Ghosh asserted.

PM Modi will address two back-to-back election rallies on April 3, the second public meeting slated at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground