Kolkata, March 14 – Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will address a mega rally organized by the West Bengal unit of the BJP on Saturday afternoon at Brigade Parade Ground in central Kolkata. This will also mark the end of the party’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ (Change Yatra) in the state amidst the crucial Assembly elections in the state, scheduled for later this year.
The Prime Minister will be addressing two programmes at Brigade Parade Ground today, the first being administrative and the second being political.
Two separate platforms have been erected at the Brigade Parade Ground for the two programmes, adjacent to each other. The platform for the administrative programme was set up behind the main platform, from where the Prime Minister will deliver his political speech.
Officers from various Central Government departments are in charge of the administrative platform, from which the Prime Minister will virtually lay the foundation stone of different central government projects in West Bengal.
“After spending a brief period on the administrative platform, the Prime Minister will reach the main platform and deliver his political speech from there,” said a state committee member of the BJP in West Bengal.
Meanwhile, almost the entire central Kolkata had been covered under a blanket of security since morning, amidst the twin programmes of the Prime Minister.
The rally ground, as well as the adjacent zones, had already been declared as a “No-Fly Zone”. Flying of drones has also been strictly banned in that area during the rally period. Security personnel have already been deployed on the rooftops of high-rise buildings adjacent to the rally ground, and they will keep a close watch on movements in the area.
About 3,000 security personnel have been deployed for the rally alone, said a senior officer of the Kolkata Police. On Friday evening, the BJP leadership reviewed the preparations for the rally.
It is learnt that the security arrangements have been made in a zone-wise manner. Deputy commissioners are in charge of each zone. An officer of the rank of joint commissioner will oversee the entire arrangement.
Officers of the rank of additional commissioner of police will also be on the streets on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress has flooded the city with posters demanding payment of unpaid dues under various central government schemes to the West Bengal government.
The posters have been displayed especially at the routes from where the Prime Minister’s convoy will be moving. “Go back, Modi,” posters have also been deployed in the area.
The state unit of the BJP has also flooded the city with posters of the rally and huge cutouts of the Prime Minister.