Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return to Delhi was delayed on Friday after his aircraft faced a technical snag at Jharkhand’s Deoghar Airport. The incident occurred as PM Modi was preparing to fly back to the national capital after concluding his public engagements, including the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations honouring the tribal leader Birsa Munda.
Officials confirmed that the Prime Minister’s plane encountered a technical issue that required immediate attention, grounding the aircraft for more than two hours. “The PM has been at the Deoghar airport for more than an hour now. What would be the alternative arrangement for his return to Delhi is being discussed,” an official told PTI. After the delay, PM Modi eventually left Jharkhand in an alternate aircraft to return to Delhi.
While the technical teams worked on resolving the glitch, the region’s airspace was declared a “no-flying zone” to ensure the Prime Minister’s security. Although the exact cause of the snag has not been disclosed, sources indicated that the Air Force plane carrying the Prime Minister could not be repaired on time, leading to further delays.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi participated in the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations, an event organized to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Birsa Munda. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the iconic tribal leader at Jamui in Bihar and emphasized the importance of tribal welfare and development during his speech. He also joined traditional dance performers and tried his hands on a tribal dhol, much to the delight of the gathered audience.
At the event, Modi unveiled development projects worth ₹6,640 crores, released a commemorative coin, and launched a postage stamp in Birsa Munda’s honour. Highlighting the government’s efforts towards tribal development, Modi said, “It was the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee that created a separate ministry for tribal welfare. Ten years ago, the budget for the development of tribal areas and tribal families was less than ₹25,000 crore. Our government has increased it five times to ₹1.25 lakh crore.”
He further announced the initiation of the Dharti Aaba, Janjatiya Gram, Utkarsh Abhiyan, a scheme for the development of over 60,000 tribal villages. “Under this, about ₹80,000 crore will be invested in tribal villages. Its purpose is to provide necessary facilities to the tribal society as well as to create training and employment opportunities for the youth,” said Modi, reaffirming the government’s commitment to uplift tribal communities.
As Modi waited for the technical issue to be resolved, a similar delay occurred in the movement of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, whose helicopter was grounded in Jharkhand’s Godda due to an unexpected Air Traffic Control (ATC) clearance issue. The Congress alleged that the delay in Gandhi’s flight was a deliberate move to hinder his election campaign. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, stating that the protocol for PM Modi’s presence in the region affected Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled flights and subsequent events, thereby disrupting his election campaign in the state.
“We request your Commission to urgently intervene in this situation and ensure that the level-playing field is not disrupted in such a manner,” Ramesh wrote. He added that such situations give an undue advantage to ruling leaders, potentially affecting the fairness of the election campaign.
However, BJP co-in-charge for Jharkhand Assembly elections and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma refuted these allegations, noting that the same protocols applied during the visits of former Prime Ministers like Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. “You are such a big leader (Gandhi), can’t you take a rest for 15 minutes? You should feel good to have 10 minutes of extra time in Jharkhand,” Sarma told news agency ANI, dismissing Congress’ allegations as unwarranted.
The incident comes at a critical time, just days before the final phase of voting for the Jharkhand Assembly elections on November 20. Both parties are actively campaigning in the poll-bound state, with PM Modi’s rallies being a key component of the BJP’s strategy. Despite the delay, PM Modi remained committed to his schedule, continuing to deliver his promises for the state’s development and honouring the contributions of tribal leaders.