It finally took off after a 45-minute delay amidst high-stakes campaigning for the final phase of the state’s assembly elections.
Godda: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi faced an unexpected delay on Tuesday as his helicopter remained stuck here in Godda, Jharkhand, waiting for clearance from the ATC.
It was finally cleared for take-off after a 45-minute delay in high-stakes campaigning in the final phase of the state’s assembly elections.
The Congress claimed the delay was a “deliberate” attempt to hamper Mr. Gandhi’s campaign schedule. It blamed it on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally near Deoghar, alleging that the air traffic controller’s decision favored the PM’s program over Mr. Gandhi’s movement.
The incident has prompted the Congress to write to the Election Commission of India. The Congress pointed out that Mr. Gandhi and his staff had secured all the requisite permissions for traveling across the state.
“There should be a level-playing field in campaigning. The PM’s campaign cannot take precedence over that of all others. Today Rahul Gandhi got delayed in Jharkhand on this account,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.
In its letter to ECI, the Congress accused the so-called ‘Z’ plus security provided to some persons due to protocol misuse of obstructing the electioneering work of opposition leaders. “If such a situation is allowed to prevail, then the ruling regime and its leaders can always take undue advantage of such protocols and limit the election campaign of opposition leaders,” the letter said.
The Congress said that this delay subsequently impacted Mr. Gandhi’s programs because some programs were postponed or canceled. The party asked ECI to ensure that “the level-playing field is not disrupted in such a manner.”
