Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ‘stranded’ in Jharkhand for nearly two hours after his aircraft experienced a technical snag on Friday afternoon. The IAF plane remained at the Deoghar airport while the PM eventually returned to Delhi on a different aircraft. PM Modi addressed a rally in the Jamui area of neighbouring Bihar on Friday ahead of a scheduled event in Delhi.
"PM Modi left for Delhi from Deoghar in another special aircraft after his IAF plane developed a technical snag. The aircraft could not be rectified on time. PM had to wait for more than two hours," Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Vishal Sagar told PTI.
The airspace was declared a “no-flying zone” on Friday afternoon as the PM waited for the issue to be resolved. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also found himself caught in a similar situation after a rally in the Godda area of Jharkhand. The LoP had his helicopter grounded for about two hours — prompting allegations from the Congress that the delay was politically motivated.
The updates came soon after the PM concluded a visit to Jamui in Bihar to commemorate the birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter Birsa Munda. He launched tribal welfare projects worth more than ₹6,000 crore during the event.
Gandhi found himself unable to exit poll-bound Jharkhand on Friday after his chopper was flagged for ATC non-clearance. The aircraft was eventually cleared for travel after a delay of 45 minutes — with party leaders dubbing it a calculated move to disrupt his campaign schedule.
"Just because the PM is in Deogarh, Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to cross that area...There is the protocol we understand but Congress ruled the country for 70 years and such an incident never happened with any opposition leader. This is not acceptable," said Dipika Pandey Singh, MLA and Congress candidate from Mahagama seat.
(With inputs from agencies)
