Modi grounded

Modi grounded

Narendra Modi arrived two hours late for his rally at Bicholim on Wednesday and apologized saying, “I was supposed to come by helicopter. But
they refused to take off stating that it was dark. Therefore, I had travel by road.”

Police sources said, “He got late in Maharashtra and as it was dark when he arrived in Goa, it was not advisable to move him in a helicopter from Dabolim to Bicholim.”

An AAI official said, “I think the Navy should be contacted about this as it was the their Air Traffic Controller on duty at that time.” Queries with the Navy drew a similar response. “It is the AAI who has to answer this. It is the AAI who had stipulated rules on no flights after sunset,” a navy official said.

16 Apr 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition