Ahmedabad cops deny permission to Rahul, BJP to carry out roadshows

The Ahmedabad Police has denied permission to the roadshows of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party which were to be held in the city on Tuesday, a senior police official said on Monday.

The BJP had sought permission for the roadshow from Dharnidhar Derasar to Bapu Nagar in the city, while the Congress wanted the nod for its roadshow from the Jagannath temple to Menco area and corner meetings on the route, Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) H R Muliyana said.

However, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner A K Singh has denied the permission to both the parties, citing traffic congestion and some main markets and old city areas, which are communally sensitive and have narrow roads, falling on the routes of the roadshows, he said.

The Congress confirmed that it had sought permission for Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow and corner meetings.

However, the BJP did not spell out as to which party leader was to take out its roadshow in the city on Tuesday.

Image: Rahul Gandhi, vice president of the Congress, greets his supporters during a rally in Gujarat. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters