KOCHI: After Congress made an allegation on Friday that the defence ministry denied landing permission for an aircraft carrying the party leader Rahul Gandhi at the Naval Airport in Kochi, the Indian Navy clarified that “Permission for landing was neither accorded nor denied.”
It was on Friday morning that the district congress committee president, Muhammed Shiyaz, raised an allegation that the ministry initially granted permission and later withdrew it, creating confusion over his journey from Kannur to Kochi.
According to the schedule of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Kochi to attend the Mahila Congress convention, released by the party on Thursday, Rahul was supposed to land at Nedumbassery airport at 11:30 am on Friday. However, on Friday morning, party leaders informed the media that Rahul would land at Naval Airport at 11:15 am and would reach the convention venue around 11:30 am. As he didn’t arrive on time, Shiyaz announced at the venue that the defence ministry withdrew permission that was granted earlier. “We received prior permission from the Navy for the landing, and we planned Rahul’s journey according to the permission,” Shiyaz said.
Denying the allegation, a Navy source in Kochi clarified later that “the request for an unscheduled chartered flight along with the flight plan was received at INS Garuda air station at Kochi at 9:40 am on Friday and at Naval Headquarters at 10:15 am, for takeoff from Kannur Airport at 10:45 am. Due to the delayed request and the paucity of time prior to the departure of the flight, the clearance for the same could not be processed.”
It is learned that Naval authorities required prior permission from the ministry to allow landing for an unscheduled chartered flight.