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Updated: Mar 24, 2019 04:02 IST

The Delhi Police on Saturday refused permission to Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) election rally in Shakurbasti, prompting its convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to allege it was done at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

While the BJP said it had no role in cancelling the rally, the Delhi Police said that the venue was not large enough to handle the expected crowd.

AAP, however, said it would complain to the Election Commission of India.

As part AAP’s mega campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal was to hold rallies at North Delhi’s Shakurbasti and Timarpur on Saturday evening.

“BJP gets my public rally cancelled today thro police. Police denies permission. How many BJP rallies were denied permission by police in Delhi in last 5 yrs? (sic)” Kejriwal said in a tweet. In the same post he also said in Hindi: “BJP, kindly accept the fact that you are losing on all seven seats in Delhi. Modi ji turned his back on the promise of full statehood. Now the public will tell.”

The Delhi Police issued a statement saying it had offered an alternative site to AAP. “Busy intersection of Sant Nagar Chowk was not found fit for a proposed public meeting of 2,000, with around 1,000 seats and pandal, due to heavy traffic and weekly market. This was conveyed on March 20. (A) ‘No objection’ for an alternative site, 150 m away, has already been conveyed,” said Seju Kuruvilla, DCP (outer Delhi).

BJP gets my public rally cancelled today thro police. Police denies permission. How many BJP rallies were denied permission by police in Delhi in last 5 yrs?



भाजपा वालों, मान लो कि दिल्ली की सातों सीटें हार रहे हो। मोदी जी पूर्ण राज्य का वादा करके मुकर गए। अब जनता बताएगी। — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 23, 2019

AAP said the alternative site offered was only a “face-saving act”. “First, police cancelled the original public meeting venue for no reason. Our team kept pleading with the district magistrate till late yesterday (Friday) evening...,” the party said in a statement. “It is only after CM’s tweet today that as a face saver the Delhi Police said it has allowed an alternative venue today afternoon. It is a farce and Delhi Police is only trying to cover-up it’s politically biased decision after the AAP exposed it. The party will strongly protest the ‘Modi-police’ move before the Election Commission of India.”

Senior party leader and MP Sanjay Singh said, “At the same place, BJP leader Harsh Vardhan’s rally was held. How did he get permission and we did not?”

BJP leader and Union minister Vijay Goel said, “BJP has no role in giving permission for rallies. It is an administrative matter and the police decides on whether to give permission or not. But the way he (Kejriwal) is blaming BJP for everything and begging Congress for an alliance shows that the party has already accepted defeat before the elections have even started.”