West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stated that the BJP was ‘distorting information and misleading’ the masses.
The BJP had sought permission for the landing of the party’s national president Amit Shah’s helicopter at Malda airport. He is scheduled to address a rally there on January 22. Permission had been denied citing the ‘ongoing construction work’. Receiving this news as a ploy by the West Bengal government to stop Amit Shah’s rally in Malda, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had commented that the denial of clearance shows that Mamata Banerjee is ‘abusing her power’ to refuse permission.
Banerjee reacted sharply, saying she too changes her landing location ‘on police request’. The Bengal CM maintained that there were ‘security issues’ for which the police had suggested an alternative landing strip. Permission to hold the rally has been granted by the West Bengal government as it believes in democracy, said Banerjee.
In a letter dated January 18, the District Magistrate had stated that the Malda airport is not ‘suitable’ for the ‘safe landing’ of helicopters due to the ongoing upgradation project. The temporary helipad was also unfit for use due to the ongoing work. Citing the instances of the state government’s continued use of the helipad every Wednesday, the BJP Malda district secretary Gopal Saha sought clarification after the District Magistrate’s letter.
Meanwhile, a hotel in Malda has agreed to facilitate the landing of Shah’s helicopter.
