Charanjit Singh Channi denied permission to fly Rahul Gandhi's rally due PM Narendra Modi's movement

Charanjit Singh Channi today said that he was denied the permission to fly to Hoshiarpur due to imposition of a no-fly zone.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi today said that he was denied the permission to fly to Hoshiarpur due to imposition of a no-fly zone ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit. Chief Minister's helicopter was not permitted to take off from Chandigarh owing to the security compulsion.

Channi was supposed to fly to Hoshiarpur to attend Rahul Gandhi`s rally. However, Gandhi`s chopper was allowed to land in Hoshiarpur, some 120 km from the state capital.

"I was in Una at 11 am but suddenly permission to fly (to Hoshiarpur) was denied due to PM Modi's movement, it was declared a no-fly zone," Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi. "I was not able to attend Rahul Gandhi's rally in Hoshiarpur. I had permission to land," Channi said.

Earlier in the day, the police personnel carried out intense drills in Jalandhar.

Prime Minister`s Ferozepur rally earlier had to be cancelled after a major security breach with his convoy stuck on a flyover after the agitating farmers had blocked the road. The BJP is raising the issue of the security breach of Prime Minister in the ongoing electioneering in the state. On January 5, Prime Minister`s convoy was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes. Assembly polls for electing 117 assembly seats in Punjab will be held on February 20.

Punjab will go to the polls for its 117-member Assembly in a single phase on February 20. The votes will be counted on March 10.

The ruling Congress is facing challenges from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP-Punjab Lok Congress alliance.