Lucknow, Dec 7 - The Mayawati-led Uttar Pradesh administration Monday suddenly withdrew permission for a press conference that was to be addressed by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, party leaders said.

Gandhi was to address the press conference at the auditorium of the state tourism directorate here Tuesday. The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) had also paid for using the auditorium.

It was only when a team of the Special Protection Group (SPG) reached the auditorium to make the necessary security arrangements did it come to light that the permission had been withdrawn.

"The SPG sleuths were told that the allotment had been cancelled, so they should look for some other venue," UPCC spokesperson Subodh Srivastava told IANS.

"Tourism officials, however, declined to give any reason for the cancellation," he added.

Tourism department director general Avanish Awasthi did not take calls on his mobile.

State additional cabinet secretary and the chief minister's principal secretary V. S. Pandey said: "The government has nothing to do with the allotment or the cancellation; that was within the jurisdiction of the directorate."  (IANS)