Amravati, Maharashtra (November 16, 2024): Election Commission officials on Saturday checked the helicopter and bag of Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi in Amravati, Maharashtra, amid a growing political controversy surrounding bag checks of political leaders campaigning for the state’s assembly elections. In a video shared by IANS, a group of officials can be seen searching Rahul Gandhi’s helicopter, while he is seen standing nearby. During the inspection, Gandhi walked away and began meeting party leaders who were standing behind him.
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This bag check came a day after Congress filed a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that Gandhi’s helicopter was halted in Jharkhand. The party demanded immediate intervention to ensure equal campaigning opportunities. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh accused authorities of deliberately delaying Gandhi’s helicopter flight, which caused his public meetings to be either delayed or cancelled.
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In Jamtara, Jharkhand, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge blamed the BJP for hindering their campaign, saying, "The BJP is creating obstacles for us. Yesterday, the Prime Minister delayed Rahul Gandhi’s helicopter, and today my helicopter was delayed because of Amit Shah." He added, "They say ‘divide and rule,’ I say ‘fear and die.’"
The controversy surrounding bag checks also gained attention after former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray criticized the repeated checks of his bags. Thackeray questioned whether Election Commission officials had conducted similar checks on other high-profile leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, and NCP chief Ajit Pawar.