Modi defies orders, holds rally

• Gives up Ganga aarti, opts for massive show of strength
• Showdown with EC over denial of permission for rally
• Sees double standards, tells Cong: “EC can’t make you win”

Varanasi: BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday launched an all-out war on the Election Commission (EC) accusing it of working "under pressure" and showing bias against him and took out a road show, defying prohibitory orders over the denial of permission for him to hold a rally here. Capping an acrimonious day, Modi landed at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU( campus helipad, near the venue of the party protests, and held an undeclared 5-km roadshow to the main BJP election office in Sigra, where a large number of police and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed. All along the route, he was greeted by saffron-cap wearing supporters, who kept on chanting 'Modi, Modi, Modi' as the cavalcade made a slow progress to the venue of a meeting where he held closed-door discussions with senior leaders, workers and intellectuals. Additional District Magistrate (City) M C Singh said prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Cr PC have been imposed in the city.

BJP leaders, including Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah, attacked the EC by holding protests outside the Banaras Hindu University. Protests were also held near the EC headquarters in Delhi demanding removal of Pranjal Yadav, the Varanasi Returning Officer, for his "partisan approach". "It is unfortunate 5that the EC is not concerned about the institution's neutrality. That is why our 'karyakartas' have to embark on a satyagraha," Modi tweeted before a day-long campaigning in Eastern UP. He hit out at Congress, saying: "People don't accept you, EC can't make you win." "The EC should do introspection. I don't know under whose pressure they are working. My speech is not so important because people will get my message even through my silence," Modi said.

The BJP had applied for an alternative site but later spurned the permissions given to it hold a rally in another place. But the party insisted on holding it only in Beniabagh and turned all its guns on the EC. "Still, it is an attack on my democratic rights. Should I not get rights that every other candidate is entitled to get. I have been denied permission to meet mother Ganga too," he said, while promising to come back for Ganga pujan soon. He claimed he was being targetted for last 14 years and even CBI has been left after him.