WB govt cancels permission for GCPA meeting on Aug 28

Kolkata, Aug 24 (PTI) Amidst the ongoing controversy overBSF allegedly training Narayani Sena of Greater Cooch BeharPeople’s Association (GCPA), Coochbehar administration hascancelled the permission to GCPA to hold a rally on August 28. "We have cancelled the permission to GCPA to hold a rallyon August 28. We have cancelled it because they did not haveproper papers of the land where they wanted to hold the rally,"Coochbehar district magistrate P Ulaganathan said. The decision comes a day after ruling TMC alleged that BSFwas training Narayani Sena and had accused the Centre of tryingto disrupt the smooth functioning of the state government. However, the BSF have denied the allegation and termed itas "baseless". The issue came into light following a recent probe reportsubmitted by the DIG, Jalpaiguri Range at the state secretariatwhich said BSF officials in Mathabhanga area of Cooch Behar innorth Bengal had imparted training to volunteers of NarayaniSena. Narayani Sena is an alleged militia raised by GCPA insupport of its demand for a separate state of Greater CoochBehar on "ethnic grounds". A senior BSF official on condition of anonymity denied theallegation saying, "We have not imparted any such training asis being projected. It is a baseless allegation. A few days agoduring an Independence day function we had taught youths livingon the border on the art of attention, to stand at ease as isdone in the Army." "It is not a new thing. We always encourage youths to joinarmed forces, BSF or the police and serve the nation. We don’tknow who is Narayani sena. If the police had reports of theiranti-national activity, why didn’t they take action?" he said.PTI PNT KKDIP