Kanpur: Authorities have banned any political rally at the historic Phoolbagh in Kanpur which has witnessed many such events over the past decades.

On February 15, 2011, the then Divisional Commissioner P K Mohanty had passed an order to ban any political rally or event at Phoolbagh.

Adhering to the instructions, the district authorities have turned down all requests by political parties, including one by the BSP, for rallies at the venue.

ADM City Shailendra Kumar Singh told PTI, "we have stuck to the instructions, barely two days back a delegation of BSP members had approached district authorities to host a rally of CM Mayawati at Phoolbagh".

Singh added that the request was denied and BSP members were asked to hold the rally at another location. Situated in the heart of the city, the Phoolbagh ground having a capacity of over one lakh has played hosted to rallies of political bigwigs like Sonia Gandhi, Lal Krishna Advani, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati in the past.

PTI