Conspiracy over allotment of small ground for Narenda Modi rally: BJP

PATNA: With the Bihar administration granting permission for a small ground at Muzaffarpur for a rally of Narendra Modi on March 3, BJP today dubbed it as a 'conspiracy' by the state government saying that in Modi's rally crowds' turnout will be in lakhs.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi raised the issue in the Legislative Council during Zero Hour and demanded that the government provide the party all three grounds, two in the Police Line and a contiguous ground in the Muzaffarpur Institute of Technology, as demanded.

He said the Muzaffarpur District Magistrate had accepted the application of district BJP president Arvind Kumar Singh for all the three grounds, but later changed his decision following 'instruction' from Patna.

BJP state president Mangal Pandey and other party legislators made a hue and cry in the House pointing fingers at the government.

Senior Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said the government had 'no evil design' to create a problem in holding the rally and assured that the district administration had acted as per rules.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav alleged a conspiracy by the JD(U) government at the behest of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to foil the rally of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate.

"Earlier, also during Hunkar rally at Gandhi Maidan at Patna on October 27 last year, the Nitish Kumar government had initially provided permission for only half of the maidan and relented only after BJP protested," Yadav told reporters outside the Assembly premises.

Sushil Modi and Yadav said the small police ground in residential premises of district police at Muzaffarpur could accommodate only 15,000-20,000 people.

"In rallies of Narendra Modi crowd turnout will be in lakhs hence there is every chance of a law and order problem on March 3 for which the Nitish Kumar government will be responsible," they said.

They demanded the chief minister instruct the Muzaffarpur district administration to allot all the three grounds to BJP for the rally to avoid an October 27 like situation.

The October rally of Narendra Modi was rocked by serial blasts by the Indian Mujahideen claiming eight lives.