Congress Criticizes Jharkhand Airspace Lockdown Over Rahul Gandhi’s Campaign Disruptions

The Congress has strongly criticized the airspace lockdown imposed in Jharkhand to accommodate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flight, which caused delays to Rahul Gandhi’s travel and disrupted his campaign activities.

In a letter to the Election Commission (EC), Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh called for measures to ensure a “level playing field” during elections. Gandhi’s helicopter was grounded for over an hour in Godda due to the imposition of a “no-fly zone” as the Prime Minister’s flight took off from Deoghar airport after an event in Jamui, Bihar. The delay was further exacerbated by technical difficulties with the Prime Minister’s aircraft.

“This delay caused significant disruptions to Shri Rahul Gandhi’s campaign schedule, with some programs either delayed or canceled,” Ramesh wrote in his letter, urging the EC to intervene to prevent such incidents from giving an unfair advantage to the ruling party.

Congress General Secretary (Organization) K.C. Venugopal also criticized the incident in a social media post, accusing the BJP of attempting to obstruct the Congress campaign. He described the move as a “petty tactic” and pointed out that it occurred on Birsa Munda Jayanti, a day when Rahul Gandhi was in Jharkhand to pay tribute to the Adivasi leader.

Congress leaders have called on the EC to ensure fairness in the electoral process and prevent disruptions that could hinder opposition campaigns.