Rahul Gandhi, Eknath Shinde's Choppers, Bags Checked In Maharashtra

Maharashtra Elections 2024: The choppers and bags of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were checked today.

The helicopters of Rahul Gandhi and Eknath Shinde were checked on Saturday.

Source : PTI

In the latest development on the 'bag-checking' controversy in Maharashtra, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's bags and chopper were subjected to checks by Election Commission officials in Amravati. The EC officials checked Gandhi's chopper at the Dhamangaon helipad. 

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, too, was checked in Ratnagiri at the Dapolitil helipad. While Shinde's chopper has been checked by poll officials at least twice, this was the first time Rahul Gandhi had to go through the procedure in Maharashtra.

Rahul Gandhi & CM Shinde's Bags Checking: राहुल गांधी आणि मुख्यमंत्र्यांच्या बॅगेची तपासणी #abpमाझा#rahulgandhi #Eknathshinde #Vidhansabhaelection pic.twitter.com/533SgVJzZS

— ABP माझा (@abpmajhatv) November 16, 2024

Rahul Gandhi's chopper was stranded for over 30 minutes in Jharkhand on Friday after it failed to get clearance from the air traffic control. Congress alleged this was a politically motivated deliberate attempt to sabotage Rahul Gandhi's election campaign because Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing a public meeting just 150 km away from the venue where Rahul Gandhi was to interact with voters.

The bag-check controversy gained steam after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray posted a video of his chopper and bags being checked by EC officials. He alleged that only Opposition leaders were being subjected to such checks and challenged the officials to check the choppers and bags of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had been flying in and out of the state for poll campaigns.

Amit Shah's chopper was also checked by poll officials on Friday.

Rahul Gandhi Mocks PM Modi

On Saturday, Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Amravati. At the event, he said: "My sister was telling me that she heard Modiji's speech. And in that speech, whatever we say, Modiji was just repeating. I don't know... maybe he has lost his memory. The former President of America, used to forget, he had to be reminded from behind. The President of Ukraine came and the President of America said that Russian President Putin has come. He had lost his memory, similarly, our Prime Minister is losing his memory..."

#WATCH | Amravati, Maharashtra: Congress MP and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi says, "My sister was telling me that she heard Modi ji's speech. And in that speech, whatever we say, Modi ji is saying the same thing these days. I don't know, maybe he has lost his memory. The former… pic.twitter.com/bsF0wQ0KpO

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2024