Agartala, Sept 14: The BJP government on Monday has disallowed the first ever mega rally scheduled to be organised by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to be led by party’s National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Agartala on Wednesday, police and party sources said.

Hours after the Tripura police cancelled the September 15 rally, TMC General Secretary Kunal Ghosh tweeted that the mega public rally would be held on September 16 and for that they have sought the permission of the Tripura police in writing.

“To prevent Banerjee’s rally in Agartala the BJP conspired in numerous ways. Such conspiracies would not stop Abhishek Banerjee and Trinamool in Tripura. They feared Abhishek Banerjee’s political strength,” said Ghosh, who is also the chief spokesman of West Bengal’s ruling party.

He said the police cancelled the TMC rally on Wednesday after the “political directions”.

Reasons cited to cancel TMC’s rally

The Sub-Divisional Police officer, Sadar (Anirban Das) in a letter to TMC leader Subal Bhowmik said on Monday that during a review meeting it is found that permission for organising a mass rally throughout the Agartala city has already been granted to another political party on the relevant date and time.

“On further review, it is also found that the political party will organise the mass rally in the same route as prayed from your end. As such, from the perspective of security and law and order point of view, protest rally (of TMC) on September 15 from 1400 hrs is not permitted Regretted,” the letter said.

TMC ups its ante ahead of 2023 Assembly polls

With an eye on the Assembly polls in Tripura scheduled in 2023, Trinamool leaders, including Banerjee, at least three ministers, more than 12 MPs, and a large number of leaders are frequently visiting Tripura since July 25 to build the organisation and garner support in the BJP-ruled state.

A series of violent incidents involving the TMC’s West Bengal and Tripura leaders occurred in the state and police on a number of occasions have arrested many leaders.

The TMC’s political activities further stepped up after the All India Mahila Congress chief and Congress’ former Lok Sabha Member from Silchar (Assam) Sushmita Dev joined TMC on August 16.

Dev, whose father and former Union Minister late Santosh Mohan Dev was instrumental in installing the Congress led government in Tripura in 1988, was given charge of Tripura and she is now touring the state for more than a week to strengthen the party organisations.

Santosh Mohan Dev was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tripura twice (1989 and 1991), besides getting elected for five times from Silchar in Assam.