PM Modi’s aircraft develops technical snag at Deoghar airport

Ranchi, Nov 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stranded at the Deoghar airport in Jharkhand for over an hour on Friday after his special aircraft developed a snag, officials said.

Modi was supposed to fly back to New Delhi on the Indian Air Force plane after addressing a rally in Bihar’s Jamui, which is around 80 km from Deoghar, they said. He was visiting Jamui to attend a function organised on the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, which is celebrated as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’.

“The PM has been at the Deoghar airport for more than an hour now. What would be the alternative arrangement for his return to Delhi is being discussed,” an official said.

‘No flying zone’ was declared in the region’s air space, officials said. Leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi was stuck in Godda, where he addressed an election rally, as his helicopter could not take off following this, they said.

However, the Congress alleged that Gandhi was targeted unfairly by the administration.

“Our leader Rahul Gandhi’s helicopter was not allowed to take off for about two hours, posing a grave threat to his life. This was a security lapse at the behest of the Centre,” state minister Deepika Pandey Singh alleged.