PM Modi’s helicopter fails to land in West Bengal’s Taherpur; returns safely to Kolkata | India News
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter could not land at the Taherpur helipad in West Bengal on Saturday due to low visibility caused by dense fog, an official said.The Prime Minister’s chopper hovered over the helipad for some time before making a U turn and returning to Kolkata airport, the official added. There were no reports of any untoward incident.
As of the last update, PM Modi was waiting at the airport for further information on the weather conditions. It was not immediately clear whether he would travel to the venue by road or make another aerial attempt if visibility improves, the official said.Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister arrived in Kolkata at around 10.40 am and proceeded by helicopter to Taherpur in Nadia district. He is scheduled to attend an administrative programme to launch highway projects in West Bengal, followed by a BJP rally titled Parivartan Sankalpa Sabha.People gathered at Taherpur Netaji Park in Ranaghat, Nadia district, on Saturday, waving national flags and chanting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name ahead of his public address and the inauguration of development projects worth Rs 3,200 crore in West Bengal. The projects include a 66.7 km four lane stretch of the Barajaguli Krishnanagar section of National Highway 34 and the laying of the foundation stone for the four laning of the Barasat Barajaguli section of NH 34, aimed at improving connectivity between Kolkata and Siliguri. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi was scheduled to reach Ranaghat at around 11.15 am. The visit was part of an administrative programme to launch highway projects, followed by a BJP rally titled Parivartan Sankalpa Sabha. Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister criticised the Trinamool Congress government in a post on X on Friday, saying people in West Bengal were benefiting from the Centre’s development initiatives but continued to suffer due to what he described as “misrule of the Trinamool Congress in every sector.” “Tomorrow, on the 20th of December, at noon, I will deliver a speech at the BJP public meeting in Ranaghat. The people of West Bengal are receiving the benefits of the central government’s multifaceted projects. However, at the same time, due to the misrule of the Trinamool Congress in every sector of the state, they are becoming victims of suffering. The looting and intimidation by the Trinamool have crossed all limits. That is why today, the BJP is the only hope and trust of the people,” PM Modi said in the post. The West Bengal visit comes amid an intensifying political contest between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress ahead of upcoming electoral battles in the state. After his programme in West Bengal,PM Modi will travel to Assam for a two day visit on December 20 and 21. He is scheduled to reach Guwahati around 3 pm on Saturday, where he will inaugurate the new Bamboo Orchids terminal at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, unveil an 80 foot tall statue of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi, and lay the foundation stone for a 12 lakh metric tonne capacity fertiliser unit at Namrup in Dibrugarh district. During his Assam visit, the Prime Minister will address public rallies in Guwahati and Namrup and visit the Assam state BJP headquarters. On December 21, he will interact with 25 meritorious students as part of Pariksha Pe Charcha during a programme on a cruise on the Brahmaputra river and pay tributes to 860 martyrs of the Assam Movement at Swahid Smarak. Authorities have deployed extensive security arrangements across Guwahati and other key locations to manage the Prime Minister’s schedule and ensure public safety during the visit.
