Yogi Adityanath denied permission for rallies by Mamata Banerjee government, addresses via telephone

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will not attend his scheduled rally in West Bengal's Raiganj as the Mamata Banerjee government has denied permission to the landing of a chopper, which was supposed to carry the BJP leader for the same, said state party chief Dilip Ghosh on Sunday. Early in the day, the chief minister was denied permission for another rally at Balurghat in north Bengal, more than 400 km from Kolkata.

Post that, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister came out with all his gun blazing at the "anti-people" Trinamool Congress government, saying Mamata Banerjee has opposed the BJP’s 'save democracy' movement from the very beginning.

"Amit Shah was scheduled to go there to start this initiative, WB govt stopped it. I had rallies in Balurghat and Raiganj today but they did not permit chopper landing. That is why had to address rally via telephone," Adityanath was quoted as saying by ANI.

UP CM: Mamata Banerjee has opposed BJP’s 'save democracy' movement from beginning, Amit Shah was to go there to start this initiative,WB govt stopped it. I had rallies in Balurghat&Raiganj today but they didn’t permit chopper landing. That's why had to address rally via telephone pic.twitter.com/pieQjEqAI2

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 3, 2019

The UP chief minister, who was scheduled to address the "Ganatantra Bachao Rally" at Balurghat in South Dinajpur district around 1:00 pm, could not attend the rally after permission was denied for his chopper to land near the venue.

"The TMC government didn't allow me to come and meet you all. That is why I had to resort to Digital India of Modi Ji to address you. This TMC government is anti-people, anti-democratic and have compromised with national security," Adityanath said while addressing the rally via the audio link.

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"Days of anti-people TMC govt in Bengal are numbered. They didn't allow me to attend the rally but cannot stop my voice," he added.

Adityanath urged the leaders, who had attended the TMC's January 19 opposition rally in Kolkata, to introspect on how democratic rights were being scuttled by the state government. The TMC government is afraid of the BJP as it very well knows that its days in Bengal are numbered, he said.

Alleging that the TMC government had tried to stop Durga Puja in West Bengal in order to pursue its appeasement policy, Adityanath urged BJP workers to fight hard in order to ensure that the party forms the next government in the state.

"Mamata Banerjee should remember that she can not misuse the government and its agencies in the state. It is shameful that government officials are acting as TMC cadres in the state," Adityanath added.

This was second such instance where the Bengal government has denied permission to the landing of a chopper, carrying a BJP leader in the state. In December 2018, BJP president Amit Shah was also denied permission to carry out a Rath Yatra, citing communal tensions in the state.