Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi was to attend Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s election rally but his helicopter was not allowed to take off due to a ‘no fly zone’ imposed in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jalandhar.
Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Monday as party spokesperson Pawan Khera (right) and Rajeev Shukla (left) look on. Channi was to attend Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Hoshiarpur after this meet. (ANI Photo)
A helipad had been set up at police lines for Channi’s chopper but minutes before Gandhi’s arrival, the CM’s advance security team left the venue when intimated about the development. Gandhi did not comment on the issue but senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar took exception to it and called it shameful.
“It is shameful that the chief minister has not been allowed to come to the rally. The Election Commission must take cognizance of it or we will understand that elections are a farce,” he said. He asked the Prime Minister to respond to the matter.
“The PM who cited threat to his life when his cavalcade was interrupted, must explain why the permission was denied to our CM”, he said, alleging that such tactics were a threat to democracy.