Rahul Gandhi's Kolkata visit cancelled, Congress blames Mamata govt for 'denial of permission'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Kolkata on April 23 has been cancelled after the local administration allegedly denied permission for the event, Congress sources said on Tuesday. The Congress leader was slated to visit the West Bengal capital to lead the party's election campaign.

The cancellation comes amid a high-octane battle for West Bengal, where the Congress is contesting in an alliance with the Left Front, often finding itself at odds with the ruling Trinamool Congress



(TMC).

The party alleged that the local administration and police acted at the behest of the Mamata Banerjee-led government in denying the required clearances.

According to Congress, the party waited until 6:00 PM for approval. However, as permission was not granted by the local police, it became unfeasible to complete logistical arrangements for the April 23 programme. "A fresh request for administrative permission will be submitted for a revised schedule, likely for either April 25 or 26," the source said.