Varanasi: The Congress party has alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s plane was not allowed to land at Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in Varanasi on Monday. Congress leader Ajay Rai said the airport authorities did not give permission because they were under pressure and used President Draupadi Murmu’s visit as an ‘excuse’. He said that Rahul Gandhi’s plane was supposed to land at the Varanasi airport on Monday night, but was “deliberately” denied permission. “Rahul Gandhi was supposed to come here and then go to Prayagraj, but the airport authority did not allow his plane to land because of pressure from the government. They said there is heavy aircraft movement and traffic congestion and didn’t give permission.” Rai alleged.
The Congress leader also said that the BJP government was “scared” of Rahul Gandhi and hence did not allow the plane to land at the Varanasi airport. “The Prime Minister of the country is worried since Rahul Gandhi led the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Now he is troubling Rahul,” he said.
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The Congress MP had a program to reach Varanasi on Monday night and offer prayers at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple today. Significantly, President Murmu visited Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Monday evening after offering prayers at Kotwal Baba Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi.
During her visit to Kashi for the first time, the President also attended the grand Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat in the evening, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said.