The air show scheduled to showcase the annual Visakha Utsav in Andhra Pradesh Friday triggered a fresh round of row between the state and the centre following withdrawal of permission by the Air India authorities under the union ministry of civil aviation in the last minute. Before he flew in to Visakhapatnam for inaugurating the event, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu accused the ruling NDA at the Centre of not even allowing his government to hold the festival. “Is Andhra Pradesh not part of India”, he questioned at a media conference in the wake of the AI reportedly called back its personnel with nine aircrafts a few hours before inauguration of the festival.
Human Resources Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who is leading the festival arrangements, said the AP government had well in advance applied for permission for the air show and Air India staff and aircrafts eventually moved into Visakhapatnam to organise the show. It’s wondering why the AI staff left the venue before the event took off, the minister commented.
The state government has been organising the festival showcasing a slew of cultural and tourism events in Visakhapatnam since 1997 in a bid to attract tourists from far and wife.
The events on show during the current three-day festival included helitourism, air show, a ride on wheels, music, dance, food, water sports, helicopter rides, flower show and temple replicas. Indian Navy will organise water sports.