Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal termed the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government as “obstructionist” whenever it came to any kind of political rally or programme being organised by the BJP in the State for its national leadership.
He was addressing a press conference in New Delhi to raise the issue of denial of permission for the landing of a helicopter carrying BJP president Amit Shah in Malda on Tuesday.
The West Bengal government later clarified that permission had not been denied to Mr. Shah. However, the BJP said that permission may have been finally been granted because of political pressure from BJP supporters.
“The popularity of the BJP and Prime Minister Modi have scared Mamata Banerjee and hence she tried to create hurdles for the party’s programme in the State,” Mr Goyal said. He added that there was no problem at the venue and that Chief Minister Banerjee’s own aircraft had landed at the same place a few days ago.
BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to address a rally in Malda in West Bengal on January 22 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to address another in Kolkata on February 8.