New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Congress has said that Rahul Gandhi’s flight was denied permission to land at the Varanasi airport late Monday night. Airport authorities, however, claimed the Congress leader had cancelled his visit to the city.
Speaking to ThePrint, UP Congress Zonal President Ajay Rai, who was at the airport to receive Gandhi, said the Wayanad MP was to visit the Kashi-Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. Rai said Gandhi was also to visit the Anand Bhawan in Prayagraj, late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s home, which has now been turned into a museum. It was built by Nehru’s father and late Congress president Motilal Nehru in the 1930s and has since served as the residence of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Even now, when members of the two families visit Prayagraj, they stay there.
Sources in the Congress said Gandhi was to visit Anand Bhavan Tuesday morning and then visit the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj.
Gandhi was travelling to Varanasi from his Lok Sabha constituency Wayanad, where he had held a public meeting, among other events, Monday.
“The flight was granted permission to land at 10.30pm (Monday night) but thereafter cancelled citing reasons like heavy traffic and the president’s movement,” Rai said late Monday night. He added that the flight had been diverted to Delhi.
The Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in Varanasi has, however, denied Congress’ claims, saying Gandhi’s visit to the city was cancelled by his team.
“The aircraft operator informed at 9:30 pm that the aircraft carrying Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji flew from Kannur to New Delhi and cancelled its plan to come at Varanasi (sic),” a statement from the operator of the airport said.
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