BJP did not buy the Election Commission's plea that Narendra Modi was not given permission to hold a rally in Varanasi on security concerns and said had EC taken immediate action at its level it could have saved such a situation.

The party also said while other leaders like Rahul Gandhi, who is a step above Modi on security threats, were given permission to campaign, its prime ministerial candidate was denied permission to do so even in the constituency where he was contesting. "Had Election Commission taken immediate action at its level, it could have saved the situation from coming to this level," BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said.

The statement came a day after the party protested against the decision of the poll authorities not to allow Modi to hold a rally in Varanasi's Beniya Bagh area. On the security threat issue, Trivedi said "if Rahul Gandhi, who is a step above Modi on the security threat, and Akhilesh Yadav can get permission to hold their functions, then why is Modi not allowed to campaign in his own constituency? It is a serious issue."