Lucknow, Feb 24 (IANS) Citing lack of security personnel, the administration in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district has denied Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi permission to hold a rally next month. But the party is determined to go ahead and says it is a politically motivated move.

The rally in Saharanpur, about 400 km from here, is slated for March 11.

"There is a large deployment of police personnel in Saharanpur district in Haridwar for the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela. So we presently don't have enough manpower for the rally," District Magistrate Alok Kumar told reporters in Saharanpur Wednesday.

The Mahakumbh Mela that began Jan 14 will end April 28.

A furious BJP hit back saying that this was done on the directives of Chief Minister Mayawati and the rally would take place as scheduled.

"We know very well that it's a politically motivated move targeted at our young leader, whom Mayawati fears most as she thinks he is one of the leaders who can expose her before the people," Raghav Lakhan Pal, BJP legislator from Saharanpur, told reporters.

"We will definitely give Mayawati a befitting reply and show her our strength and power," he added.

In December last year, the Bulandshahr district administration had denied BJP permission for a rally to be addressed by Varun Gandhi. However, on Feb 6 this year he addressed a rally and compared union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Mayawati with mythological demon king Ravana and his sister Surpnakha respectively.