Dense fog prevents PM’s helicopter from landing in Taherpur, Modi may address rally virtually

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the Taherpur rally in West Bengal’s Nadia district in virtual mode after dense fog prevented his helicopter from landing at the venue and forced him to return to the Kolkata airport on Saturday, an official said.

Owing to low visibility, the PM’s chopper made a U-turn after hovering over the makeshift helipad ground in Taherpur for a while and returned to Kolkata airport, he said.

Latest updates from the airport suggested that preparations were underway to convert the airport’s VIP lounge into a space from where the Prime Minister could address the waiting crowd in virtual mode, since reaching the rally venue in Nadia district by road could cause major delays and upset his day’s itinerary, the official said.

Modi is scheduled to reach Guwahati later in the day for a two-day Assam visit, where he is scheduled to attend multiple programmes.

Meanwhile, major chaos was witnessed at the Netaji Park rally ground in Taherpur after the swelling crowd lost patience and tried to enter the venue, which was already filled to capacity.

The district police and administration had a tough time handling the crowd, which broke one of the VIP entrances to the venue and attempted to breach barricades set up by the security personnel.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister reached Kolkata at around 10.40 am and took a chopper onward to Taherpur in Nadia district, where he was scheduled to hold an administrative programme to launch highway projects in West Bengal, followed by a political rally of the BJP, titled Parivartan Sankalpa Sabha, which he is supposed to address.