NEW DELHI: The home ministry has refuted claims by chief ministers of two Congress-ruled states – Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh – that their travel itineraries were disrupted on account of alleged airspace restrictions placed in and around the national capital, in view of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
While Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had on Friday complained about not being able to attend President Draupadi Murmu’s G20 dinner as Delhi has been declared a “no-fly zone” as part of the stringent security arrangements, his Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot posted the same day on X that he was unable to participate in a programme at Sikar due to lack of clearance from the Union home ministry for his helicopter journey from Udaipur to Sikar, also in view of the G20 meeting.
Taking to X platform to respond, the home ministry spokesperson on Saturday said that the ministry had clarified to the Chhattisgarh government that the movement of state aircraft carrying governors and chief ministers was allowed, even though a high-tech security air-cover had been deployed for the G20 conference between September 8 and 11.
On Gehlot’s allegation, the MHA spokesperson clarified that four requests were received from the Rajasthan chief minister, including for Sikar, all of which were duly approved. “No request from CM Rajasthan has been denied. While all scheduled flights of commercial aircrafts and movement of governors and state chief ministers on their state aircrafts are allowed, private chartered flights require specific MHA approval,” he posted.
Congress circles have also suggested that Gehlot would be missing the G20 dinner in Delhi on account of his preoccupation with impending elections in Rajasthan.
There is a feeling of disgruntlement in Congress on account of party president Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited to the G-20 dinner being hosted by the President. While sources claimed there is no direction from the party to its CMs on whether or not to attend the dinner, three of its four CMs – Baghel, Gehlot and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah – will be skipping the event. However, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reached Delhi by helicopter from Chandigarh on Saturday to be part of the dinner.
While Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had on Friday complained about not being able to attend President Draupadi Murmu’s G20 dinner as Delhi has been declared a “no-fly zone” as part of the stringent security arrangements, his Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot posted the same day on X that he was unable to participate in a programme at Sikar due to lack of clearance from the Union home ministry for his helicopter journey from Udaipur to Sikar, also in view of the G20 meeting.
Taking to X platform to respond, the home ministry spokesperson on Saturday said that the ministry had clarified to the Chhattisgarh government that the movement of state aircraft carrying governors and chief ministers was allowed, even though a high-tech security air-cover had been deployed for the G20 conference between September 8 and 11.
On Gehlot’s allegation, the MHA spokesperson clarified that four requests were received from the Rajasthan chief minister, including for Sikar, all of which were duly approved. “No request from CM Rajasthan has been denied. While all scheduled flights of commercial aircrafts and movement of governors and state chief ministers on their state aircrafts are allowed, private chartered flights require specific MHA approval,” he posted.
Congress circles have also suggested that Gehlot would be missing the G20 dinner in Delhi on account of his preoccupation with impending elections in Rajasthan.
There is a feeling of disgruntlement in Congress on account of party president Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited to the G-20 dinner being hosted by the President. While sources claimed there is no direction from the party to its CMs on whether or not to attend the dinner, three of its four CMs – Baghel, Gehlot and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah – will be skipping the event. However, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reached Delhi by helicopter from Chandigarh on Saturday to be part of the dinner.
