In West Bengal, Kolkata Police denies permission for BJP's roadshow; party to go ahead

Even though the Kolkata Police has denied permission to the BJP for its mega roadshow on Monday, the saffron party has decided to go ahead with it, sources said. The BJP leaders had expected that the Mamata Banerjee-led state government will not grant the permission for the roadshow scheduled at 2:30 pm, sources added. The act of denial by the state government comes as the BJP intensifies its campaign for the Assembly polls slated to take place in the upcoming months.

Anurag Thakur slams Mamata govt

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Monday slammed the TMC over its outsider-insider debate, saying that if a Union minister is termed as an outsider in West Bengal, then people from which place are considered as insiders. Maintaining that West Bengal is an important part of the country, Thakur wondered whether it is a crime for a Union minister to visit the state.

"If a minister of the Indian government coming to West Bengal is termed as an outsider, then I want to ask that people from which place are considered as insiders," he told reporters at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

Thakur, who came to visit ailing BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly at a city hospital, said that West Bengal has given stalwarts in various fields to the country, while people from all parts of India have settled in the state and participated in its advancement. He questioned the thought process that leads to such labelling of fellow country and asked whether it should be allowed to flourish or checked.

READ | Subramanian Swamy slams Congress for questioning DCGI approval to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin

READ | JEE Advanced dates, IIT eligibility criteria to be announced on Jan 7: Education Minister

The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has alleged that the BJP is bringing in "outsiders" to fight the state assembly elections due in April-May. 

In a separate incident, BJP's West Bengal state committee member Krishnendu Mukherjee on Monday alleged that "TMC goons" have opened fire on his car in Asansol in Paschim Barddhaman district but he was saved by a whisker as the assailants failed to open the vehicle's doors. The ruling party in the state, however, dismissed his allegation and said the incident might be a fallout of Mukherjee's old rivalries.

READ | 'Going for talks hoping for solution': Agriculture Minister before 7th Centre-farmer talks

READ | BJP shares video of Trinamool neta telling cadre to 'beat & chase' saffron party's leaders

(With agency inputs)