(Image source from: Was Narendra Modi's plane deliberately delayed?})

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has accused Delhi airport's Air Traffic Control officers of a conspiracy to delay his flight from taking off. The Gujarat CM said that his plane was deliberately delayed by withholding permission to take off on Tuesday.

Modi's flights to Pantnagar in Uttar Pradesh and then to Bareilly in Madhya Pradesh were hit by delays, which was termed a conspiracy by the BJP leader.

Following this episode the saffron has asked the Election Commission to give instructions to civil aviation officials to allow quick clearances for Modi's flights.

The plane, which belongs to the Adani Group, was scheduled to take the BJP leader first to a Pantnagar rally, and from there Modi would go to Bareilly in a helicopter to address another rally.

However, the Adani-owned Challenger aircraft, meant to fly Modi, didn't have the necessary clearance of flight plan, according to aviation ministry authorities. So Modi had to take a flight from Delhi to Bareilly.

Modi, who was almost two hours behind schedule, apologised to the waiting crowd in Bareilly, and blamed his delay on the ATC authorities in Delhi. He told his audience that he had reached Delhi airport at 9.30 am itself but his aircraft was not allowed to take off.

After the Bareilly rally, Modi's helicopter had to wait at a defense airfield for all the clearances from Delhi. Once the clearances were obtained the helicopter went to Pantnagar airport. Here the Adani-owned aircraft, waiting for Modi, took him to Madhya Pradesh.

Modi was behind schedule for the Rewa rally by almost three hours. So he accused the UPA for being responsible for the flight delays at the rally.

(Picture Source: indianexpress.com/indiatvnews.com)

(AW: Pratima Tigga)