Gehlot Claims Permission Denied For Helicopter To Sikar Due To G20, Centre Responds

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot claimed that his helicopter was denied permission to go from Udaipur to Sikar while the MHA said that no request from Gehlot was denied.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ( Image Source :PTI )

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday claimed that the Union Home Ministry did not allow his helicopter to go from Udaipur to Sikar in view of the G20 Summit following which his programme was cancelled. The Rajasthan CM was scheduled to visit Sangliya Peeth in Sikar as part of the death anniversary programme of Baba Shri Khinwadas Ji Maharaj. The Centre, however, said that no request from Gehlot was denied that all scheduled flights of commercial aircraft and movement of Governors and State Chief Ministers on their State aircrafts are allowed.

"Today there was a programme to go to Sangliya Peeth, Sikar, as part of the death anniversary programme of Baba Shri Khinwadas Ji Maharaj, but due to the G-20 meeting, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, did not give permission to go to Sikar by helicopter from Udaipur due to which today I am not able to reach Sangliya Peeth," Gehlot said on X.

आज बाबा श्री खींवादास जी महाराज की पुण्यतिथि के कार्यक्रम में सांगलिया पीठ, सीकर जाने का कार्यक्रम था परन्तु जी-20 की बैठक के कारण गृह मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार ने एयरस्पेस में उदयपुर से सीकर हेलिकॉप्टर से जाने की अनुमति नहीं दी जिसके कारण आज सांगलिया पीठ नहीं पहुंच पा रहा हूं।…

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) September 8, 2023

"Spoke to the Peethadhishwar Shri Om Das Maharaj of Sangliya Peeth on the phone and informed him. I will soon visit Sangliya Peeth to seek blessings," he added.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that no request from the Rajasthan Chief Minister was denied. 

"No request from CM Rajasthan has been denied. While all scheduled flights of commercial Aircrafts and movement of Governors and State Chief Ministers on their State aircrafts are allowed, private chartered flights require specific MHA approval,” said the MHA. 

No request from CM Rajasthan has been denied. While all scheduled flights of commercial Aircrafts and movement of Governors and State Chief Ministers on their State aircrafts are allowed, private chartered flights require specific MHA approval. (2/2)

— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) September 9, 2023

The two-day G20 Summit began on Saturday, being attended by US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak besides other leaders of developing and developed countries.