Congress' allegations baseless, helicopters of Nadda, Shah were also checked: Bihar CEO
May 13, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 13 : After Congress claimed that Election Commission officials were 'targeting' opposition leaders following party president Mallikarjun Kharge's helicopter inspection in Bihar's Samastipur, state's Chief Electoral Officer said that the allegations were baseless as earlier Home Minister Amit Shah's helicopter was also checked.
"The checking of the helicopters during elections follows the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) laid down by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)," Bihar CEO said in a post on X on Sunday.
"The helicopters of JP Nadda, and Home Minister Amit Shah were also checked in Bihar earlier. The allegation that only the helicopter of a leader of one national party was checked is baseless," the post added.
The official handle of Bihar's CEO also posted photos when the helicopters of JP Nadda and Amit Shah were checked by EC officials.
After Mallikarjun Kharge's helicopter inspection in Bihar's Samastipur on Saturday, chief spokesperson of Congress Bihar unit, Rajesh Rathore alleged on Sunday that Election Commission officials were 'targeting' opposition leaders, while leaders of the BJP-led NDA were permitted to move about "freely".
Taking to his social media handle, Rathore said, "It is unfortunate that the helicopter of Rahul Gandhi in Kerala and now that of INC India President Mallikarjun Kharge in Bihar was searched by the Election Commission and the administration. @ECISVEEP Release a video and tell the country which NDA leaders' helicopters were checked during the election campaign."
Rathore also shared a video claiming that the Bihar CEO is herself monitoring the checking of Kharge's helicopter in Samastipur.
"The Election Commission (EC) should clarify whether such checking of choppers of Congress leaders is routine and whether similar checks were also conducted on top leaders of the NDA," Rathore said in his video message.
"The EC should make all such records public, otherwise, it will be construed that it is only targeting opposition leaders to 'influence and disturb' them and is letting NDA leaders go freely," he said.
