The incident occurred just as Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to depart after addressing a public rally in Mahagama.

Row over delay in Rahul Gandhi's chopper take-off, Congress blames BJP

Rahul Gandhi's helicopter was delayed for nearly two hours in Godda, Jharkhand, due to a lack of ATC clearance, which Congress claimed was politically motivated.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Rahul Gandhi's helicopter grounded at Godda
  • Delay due to lack of Air Traffic Control clearance
  • Rahul Gandhi's chopper cleared after two-hour wait

Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's helicopter was grounded for nearly two hours in Jharkhand’s Godda on Friday due to a lack of clearance for takeoff, which the Congress claimed was politically motivated.

Row over delay in Rahul Gandhi’s chopper take-off, Congress blames BJP

After the delay, Congress accused the BJP of deliberate obstruction. According to sources, the helicopter's clearance was held up due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Bihar’s Jamui, which affected the airspace availability in the region.

The incident occurred in Mahagama, where Gandhi was scheduled to depart after addressing a public rally.

Jharkhand Minister and Congress leader Dipika Pandey Singh expressed strong disapproval over the delay in Rahul Gandhi's helicopter clearance from the Air Traffic Control (ATC), questioning whether the right to campaign freely in this country is reserved solely for the Prime Minister.

“The country’s top opposition leader has been kept waiting in the chopper for over an hour. They are not granting him permission to leave. I don’t understand why the BJP is doing this. They have frozen our bank accounts, created hurdles for us in the Lok Sabha, and are now obstructing our campaign efforts to prevent us from contesting elections on equal footing,” she added.

When asked why the BJP would allegedly engage in such actions, she retorted, “That’s something only the BJP can answer.”

After a delay of over two hours, Rahul Gandhi was eventually given clearance and took off from Godda.

The first phase of Jharkhand Assembly election 2024 was held on November 13 and the second phase will be held on November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.