The BJP is preparing to organise a march to Uttarkanya, the north Bengal branch secretariat in Siliguri, on July 21, the day on which the Trinamul Congress would hold its mammoth Martyrs’ Day rally in Calcutta.

Despite being denied police permission for the march, the BJP remains firm on its plan. Dipak Barman, the BJP’s north Bengal convener, said the party would gather supporters in large numbers.

“More than 10,000 party workers from Siliguri, Darjeeling, and Jalpaiguri will gather for the protest. We have been denied permission by the Siliguri Metropolitan Police, but we will not reschedule the programme,” Barman said on Tuesday.

The protest will be organised under the banner of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), with a focus on issues such as crimes against women, the RG Kar Medical College and Kasba law college incidents, and the alleged school service commission scam.

Significantly, the BJP has chosen July 21, the same day as Trinamool’s flagship event in Calcutta, to assert its political clout in north Bengal, where the BJP enjoys a strong base. In the 2021 Assembly polls, the BJP won 30 of 54 seats in the region, while Trinamul secured only 23.

A political observer said: “By organising a parallel programme in Siliguri, the BJP is seeking to consolidate its support and highlight key grievances ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.”

Sankar Ghosh, the BJP MLA from Siliguri, criticised the police for what he called a “deliberate denial” of permission to hold the protest. “The march is focused on women’s safety and related issues. Yet, we are facing administrative resistance. This pattern of denial has been repeatedly observed whenever the BJP tries to organise protests,” Ghosh said.

Palen Ghosh, the president of BJYM, said the party had filed a petition with Calcutta High Court’s Jalpaiguri circuit bench seeking permission for the rally. “After permission being denied by the Siliguri police, we have approached the court to ensure that our democratic right to protest is upheld,” he said.