Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft faced a technical snag on Friday, resulting in a delay at Deoghar airport, where he had been campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand. This comes while Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s helicopter was stranded for 45 minutes in Godda due to a lack of clearance from Air Traffic Control.
Congress alleged that the delay in clearance was a deliberate move to disrupt Gandhi’s campaign before the final phase of the Jharkhand assembly polls. Videos from the scene depicted Rahul Gandhi waiting inside the chopper for permission to depart.
Deepika Pandey Singh, a Congress MLA and candidate from Mahagama Constituency, criticised the incident, stating: “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.” Gandhi’s helicopter eventually took off at 2:50 PM.
This was not the first flight-related incident of the week. Kalpana Soren, wife of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and Chief Minister Hemant Soren, experienced a similar delay, with her chopper being held up for nearly 50 minutes earlier in the week.
PM Modi Commemorates 150th Birth Anniversary Of Freedom Fighter Birsa Munda
The Prime Minister today addressed two public gatherings in Jharkhand as part of celebrations for Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, an occasion honouring tribal icon Birsa Munda.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi addressed a gathering in Jamui, Bihar, commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Birsa Munda. He accused previous Congress governments of downplaying the role of tribal leaders in the independence struggle to elevate “one party and one family”. Without naming the opposition or the Nehru-Gandhi family, Modi claimed, “If only one party and one family were to be given credit, who would remember Birsa Munda and Tilka Manjhi?”
Modi highlighted initiatives taken by his government for tribal welfare, including designating districts with large tribal populations as ‘aspirational’ and increasing the budget for tribal welfare from ₹25,000 crore to ₹1.25 lakh crore. He expressed commitment to improving education, healthcare, and employment for tribal communities, referred to as ‘padhai, kamai aur dawaai’.
During his speech, Modi also praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was present at the event, for supporting the elevation of Droupadi Murmu to the presidency. Kumar, in a brief address, admitted that his past alliances with the RJD-Congress combine were mistakes he would not repeat.
The Prime Minister underscored his admiration for tribal values, describing their environmental practices as a global example amidst climate change concerns. He also mentioned government efforts like establishing Eklavya schools and conferring Padma awards on tribal artists. Modi spoke about combating sickle cell anaemia prevalent among tribals and enhancing healthcare access through Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs.
