Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has lodged a complaint with Election Commission alleging that there was a delay in providing prompt permission to the chopper of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to fly from Delhi airport on Tuesday.
According to reports, BJP also sought directions to the Civil Aviation authorities for early clearances to its prime ministerial candidate.
In its complaint to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath, BJP alleged "conspiracy" in today`s delay in Modi`s flight from Delhi to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh that affected his election campaign as he reached hours behind schedule.
BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sent the complaint to the CEC alleging that there seemed to be a conspiracy behind today`s delay in his helicopter flight.
Seeking EC`s intervention, Naqvi urged it to direct Civil Aviation authorities for early clearances to Modi, as he was the party`s star campaigner and prime ministerial candidate for the Lok Sabha elections.
BJP also asked the EC to ensure that such a delay would not happen again as today`s delay seems "deliberate" to affect his poll schedule.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat chief minister today alleged that his chopper was deliberately delayed by the Delhi air traffic control when he was about to leave for an election rally in Bareilly.
With flight delays hitting his campaign in UP and MP, Modi today attacked the Centre alleging a "conspiracy" and demanded that Election Commission probe the matter.
Daring the Congress-led UPA, he said if it was so scared of him, it should declare that it would not let him fly during the current election.
In Bareilly, Modi today began his speech by apologising to the crowd for the delay in arriving.
"I apologise to you for arriving late as you had to sit in this heat. But this delay was not because of me. At the Delhi airport I sat from 9.30 AM onwards but our helicopter was not being given the permission to fly," Modi told the gathering.
The BJP leader said that normally he tries that "nobody is inconvenienced because of him but I am pained that you had to face this blistering sun," as per IANS.
"You are doing this penance in this heat, I assure you that I will never let this effort go waste," he told the gathering.
At poll rallies in Bareilly in UP and Rewa in MP which
began hours behind schedule, Modi said the EC is the "umpire" in the ongoing electoral contest so it should ensure that all political parties are treated the same.
"I request the Election Commission, as you are the umpire, you should see who were the people who conspired to delay my helicopter by three hours. All political parties should have a level playing field," he said.
Modi, however, told the people that nothing could prevent him from being with his own people and supporters.
Slamming the Congress-led government at the centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader accused the incumbent Congress MP of doing nothing for the region.
"Everyone knows Rae Bareli but no one knows Bareilly though this place is one of the top producers of `manja` used to fly kites," he said.
"Bareilly has a place in the country... Bollywood songs have been written on the city and it had a place on the industrial map. But due to the wrong policies of the state and union governments, development has stopped here," he said.
Modi slammed the Akhilesh Yadav government in the state and predicted a rout for the ruling Samajwadi Party in the parliamentary election.
Reacting sharply on the delay in Modi`s flight clearances, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, "UPA Govt at the Centre has become desperate, today they deliberately delayed Modi Ji`s plane first at Delhi and then at Bareilly."
UPA Govt at the Centre has become desperate, today they deliberately delayed Modi Ji's plane first at Delhi and then at Bareilly.
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 1, 2014
Chouhan accused the UPA government of deliberately trying such tactics to stop Modi from his victory run and tweeted, "UPA may use dirty tricks to delay Modi Ji`s plane but they cannot stop his victory run. EC must enquire into this incident and take action."
UPA may use dirty tricks to delay Modi Ji's plane but they cannot stop his victory run. EC must enquire into this incident and take action.
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 1, 2014
"By resorting to such tactics it seems Congress and UPA have already conceded defeat," his another tweet said.
By resorting to such tactics it seems Congress and UPA has already conceded defeat.
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 1, 2014
Modi has been addressing four election rallies everyday across the country and is to address more than 185 such poll rallies in the run up to the elections.
With PTI inputs
