BJP SAYS IT WILL NOT POSTPONE PM’S RALLY AT RAMLILA MAIDAN

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said that it will go ahead with a massive rally to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday. The party clarified that there were no plans to postpone the programme even as prohibitory orders were imposed in some areas near the rally venue under section 144 of the CrPC amid growing protests in the national capital against Citizenship Amendment Act.

Being organised ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi, the party has planned the event to thank the PM for the Centre’s decision to confer ownership rights to residents of unauthorised colonies in Delhi.

Section 144 has been clamped at the Red Fort and ITO, located a few kilometers away from the rally’s venue, among other places to maintain order after protests spread to various parts of the city. Senior Delhi Police officials said there is no immediate plan to withdraw prohibitory orders, as the situation continues to be tense in the city, especially central Delhi.

Senior BJP leaders say that there is no plan to either change the venue or postpone the event. They said the two issues are different.

“People are going to come in large numbers. We are expecting over a lakh people to address PM’s rally. The centre’s decision to give ownership rights to residents of unauthorised colonies is going to benefit lakhs of people who now want to thank the PM for it,” said Vijay Goel, Rajya Sabha MP, who is in-charge of the rally.