Nod to Modi rally denied on basis of Gujarat police input: EC

Describing the permission issue as “purely an operational problem”, Brahma said, “You are entitled to take a decision under law. You have a right and duty to take a decision.”

However, at the same time, he said, “the person has a right to know yes or no... It should be communicated in an appropriate time. My only point is that there should be no delay in saying a yes or no.”

Terming the entire episode as “unfortunate”, the Commissioner said things “should not have escalated” to a level that it comes to the central poll body.

Brahma said that since Varanasi was a VIP constituency and the authorities were dealing with “a very important” personality, the decisions should have been conveyed fast so that issues do not crop up.

The authorities should be “prompt” and quicken the process, he said, adding “if you take 20 minutes normally, you should, may be take 10 mins or 5 mins.”