Politics

BJP Protested Election Commission in 2014 Over Denied Rally Permit

By Sneha Biswas

In May 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI) after the commission denied permission for then‑prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to hold a rally at Beniabagh Maidan in Varanasi. The BJP questioned the commission’s neutrality and alleged bias. Protests were held in Varanasi and New Delhi on 8 May 2014. In Varanasi, BJP leaders Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah and Ananth Kumar staged a dharna outside the Banaras Hindu University campus. In New Delhi, BJP workers attempted to march toward the ECI office but were stopped by Delhi Police. The BJP called off its protest after a meeting with ECI officials in New Delhi. The party delegation, led by senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, requested the replacement of Varanasi’s district magistrate and an independent inquiry into the denial of permission. The district administration cited security and related concerns as the reason for denying the rally permit. The ECI denied allegations of bias during the controversy.